


Incomplete

by thagrrrl79



Series: Stranger Than Fiction [2]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-04
Updated: 2014-08-04
Packaged: 2018-02-11 19:06:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 24
Words: 52,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2079708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thagrrrl79/pseuds/thagrrrl79
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU; SEQUEL TO STRANGER THAN FICTION - It's been 4 months since Kari started traveling with the Doctor. Something is different about Rose. 10/Rose/OC</p><p>Co-written with sss979 (who doesn't have an AO3 account yet, but can be found on Teaspoon and an Open Mind and Fanfiction.net)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Coffee. Kari needed coffee. Thank the gods the smell of it greeted her before her eyes were even open, as it did most 'mornings.' This morning, she was also greeted with the smell of eggs, bacon, and hash browns. She sniffed again. Was that biscuits and gravy? Her stomach rumbled, telling her to go find out. She drowsily sat up and put her feet on the floor.

"Well, that's a start."

It had been about three months since Kari had started traveling on the TARDIS. It hadn't completely sunk in yet. Just a few months ago, this had all been a TV show. That was all it had been - until the Doctor and Rose had shown up at her door at two in the morning due to rift activity. She had barely hesitated when the Doctor asked her to join them.

She'd told her parents and a few close friends what she was doing. Thankfully, none of them wanted to have her committed. Her cat, Paxton, was the only real holdover from her former, 'linear' life. The cat had settled in quite well. Kari cast a glance toward her and smiled as she saw her curled up on the bed. She reached a hand out to pet her.

"Don't see why you wouldn't settle in just fine here. You're more spoiled now then you ever were before, what with your own garden and gourmet food supplied daily."

Kari stood and headed to her dresser to grab clothes. She smiled as she looked over the pictures she had already acquired from their adventures, her favorite being the one of her and Jack on the planet with the giant bazaar. Kari had a brightly colored scarf wrapped around her head while Jack was wearing a fez and they both had huge grins on their faces. He had stayed on for a bit to help Kari adjust, and, well, how could he really pass up traveling with the Doctor again?

She remembered another adventure, forever memorialized in photo, for a very different reason. In the top left corner was a snapshot that was taken shortly before Kari got her first real broken bone - her left wrist.. They'd been running from some very angry natives on a planet that apparently didn't much like that Jack didn't have brown eyes. Poor Jack and his baby blues; always getting him in trouble. The Doctor was able to mend her arm most of the way in the infirmary, but she still had to wear a brace for a week.

Kari was grateful that none of the adventures they had matched up to the show any more. She knew some things might still happen, but not necessarily in the same way. It had been decided that, unless absolutely crucial, she wouldn't share any information. The only adventure aside from Canary Wharf Kari had felt needed to be shared was the discovery of the Master.

This had been the hardest conversation she'd had with the Doctor since coming on. Outwardly, he had blown it off, saying it was impossible that any Time Lord had escaped, human or not. However, the flash of hope and fear that went through his eyes betrayed how he really felt about it. He would occasionally ask Kari about what had happened that led them to the Master or how he'd gotten to Earth. That, she figured, had nothing to do with the Master and everything to do with the Doctor. There was no way he would simply ignore the possibility that there were any Time Lords still out there.

Finally dressed, Kari wandered to the kitchen.

"Do I smell…" She was cut off as she walked in to find the Doctor and Rose in the kitchen with huge smiles on their faces, balloons all over the place, and a giant "Happy Birthday, Kari" banner.

"Happy birthday!" they both cheered as Rose handed her a cup of coffee.

Kari blinked as she accepted it. "Um, thank you! This is great!"

Birthday? It was her birthday? One of the biggest adjustments she'd faced aboard the TARDIS had been figuring out the timelines. They had decided that it would be easier to shift Kari's "calendar" to match Rose's, with the exception of the year. This made it the end of August for all of them, only it was August 2007 for Rose and August 2012 for Kari. They made it work. That would also mean it was near Kari's birthday.

The Doctor swept over and pulled her chair out. She sat down, still in a daze at the scene in front of her.

She then looked at the table and saw it piled high with all sorts of fantastic breakfast foods. The Doctor and Rose sat down and started filling their plates.

"Come on, then, tuck in! We've got a full day ahead of us." Rose said, nudging Kari with an elbow.

Kari blinked out of awe and started filling her plate. "Full day? What's the plan?"

"Well, first, Rose here has insisted on a spa day," the Doctor said around his toast. "While I could've sworn there was one in the TARDIS, we can't seem to find it. So instead, we're going to a resort planet."

Kari raised an eyebrow. "It's not Midnight, is it?"

The Doctor frowned. "No, not that one. Why do you ask?"

Kari tapped her head. "I have my reasons."

"Right." The Doctor eyed her warily for a moment before pulling his thoughts back on track. "Moving on then…"

Kari took a bite of toast to hide her smile as she waited for him to move on.

"Once you two are good and pampered, we're going to find a town and paint it red!"

"Oh, and presents!" Rose announced, bouncing in her seat. "Lots and lots of presents!"

Kari smiled and blushed. "Thanks you guys!"

"Oh, don't mention it!" the Doctor said, grinning.

"No, really. This is fantastic! You didn't have to!"

"Of course we did!" Rose laughed. "We love parties."

"You've just given us an excuse to have one."

"What's the name of this resort planet?" Kari asked after a few minutes.

"That's a surprise," the Doctor said with a smirk.

Kari glared at him, though there was no heat behind it. "Fine, be that way. Just as long as there's no running, I don't much care."

After a while, the Doctor stood up and started clearing dishes. "Alright, you two, shove off and get ready to go. We land on the resort planet in an hour."

"Aye, aye, Captain!" Rose and Kari said with mock salutes, garnering them an eye roll from the Doctor as they turned to leave, giggling all the way.


	2. Chapter 2

Rose and Kari sat, relaxed in chaise lounges next to a pool, their faces covered in mud. The good kind of mud. Not the dirty, sticky, sweaty, “run until your legs give out and you fall face first” type of mud. The spa they were in was peaceful and tranquil with quiet music and fountains tinkling in the corners.

Rose let out a sigh. “Oh, this is lovely! We better not have to run while we’re here.”

Kari did her best to frown. “Shush! You’ll jinx it!”

Rose smirked as she settled into her chair more. “We let the Doctor out of our sight. We may have jinxed it right then.”

“Then he can just run without us,” Kari said with a vague wave of her hand.

“I’m not moving for a while.”

“Mmm… I think I’ll stick with you.” Rose smiled contentedly and took a look around her. “You know, while I can’t complain about the running and excitement, it’s definitely nice to relax on a nice, quiet planet.”

Kari nodded. “Agreed. It took me some getting used to, but I love the running and excitement! It sure as hell beats dieting and exercise.”

Rose looked over with a grin. “There was this one planet we went to, yeah? The people there are known all across the galaxy for chocolate, of all things. This chocolate is like nothing on Earth! It tastes the same, a bit, but it’s…different. When it’s warm, it doesn’t melt, but it’s still creamy when it’s cold. You can eat it right off the plant! They use it like a spice and put it in everything. Amazing!”

“Mmm that sounds delightful!” Kari gave a contented smile of her own. “I don’t suppose there’s any on the TARDIS?”

“I’m not sure. If not, I’ll bet we can get the Doctor to take us back, if he can remember how to get there.”

Kari snorted. “Yeah, that’ll be the day! We’ll end up there on accident while trying to get somewhere else entirely.”

“We should be so lucky.”

Rose shut her eyes and relaxed back into her chair. Letting her eyes wander lazily over her surroundings, Kari sighed contentedly.

“So, what do you think he’s up to, anyway? He seemed pretty secretive about where he was going after he dropped us off.”

Rose shrugged. “Oh, how should I know? Thing about time travel is that he could be gone a week and we’d never know it.” She paused and continued reflectively. “The first time I left with him, I was gone a year from my family and friends, but only a few days for me. Thank God he’s gotten better at that or I’d be afraid of how long we’d be here before he shows up again.”

Kari smiled knowingly. “Yeah, as relaxing as this is, it would get old after a while.”

“Though, I suppose if he spends the next twenty years trying to navigate his way back…” she said with a grin, “it might only be a few minutes for us by the time he finally gets here. And it’s not like he wouldn’t come back, no matter how long it takes him.”

Kari turned to look at her friend with a raised eyebrow. “There’s no way in all of time and space that he’d allow himself to take that long to get back to you.”

Rose chuckled. “I’m just saying, if he did…”

“And I’m just saying he’d be hard pressed to take twenty minutes, let alone twenty years. I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t take a minute.”

“Oh, I’m sure there are plenty of things that interest him in the universe besides me. I know he’ll always come back. That’s the important part.”

Kari snorted as she chocked back the laugh she was trying to hide. “Yeah, okay, you keep believing that.”

Rose glanced at her, raising an eyebrow curiously. “What do you mean?”

Kari turned to look at her. “Rose, there is nothing more important to him than you, except maybe the TARDIS. Maybe.”

Rose leaned back to consider that for a moment. “Yeah…” She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, hesitant to continue. “Sometimes I wonder. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I know he cares, a lot, and he’d never let me down. But he’s just so hard to read.”

Kari sighed. “I know he is. But it’s really easy to see when you’re standing on the outside looking in. I see how he looks at you when he thinks no one is looking, not to mention how you look at him.”

Rose’s eyes widened, almost like a deer caught in the headlights. “What…what do you mean?” she said with a gulp.

“I mean, I’ve noticed many a sideways glance when you think no one’s watching, not to mention how horribly you ‘hide’ watching him when he’s walking away.” Kari smirked. “Jack and I have had many an hour of entertainment thanks to you two.”

Rose gave a tense laugh and rubbed the back of her neck. “Hehe I do not!”

“Yes you do!”

“Well, anyway, even if I did, it doesn’t matter. He’s not even human; it’s not like anything would ever happen.”

Kari rolled her eyes. “So what if he’s not human? If the feeling is mutual — and it is, believe me — it shouldn’t matter.”

Rose shifted uncomfortably. “You don’t know that! Besides, the fact that he’s not human makes a big difference.”

“Why?”

“Well, I mean, I don’t even know if he’s…like that. I’ve seen enough people from planets all over the universe to know that just because they look human doesn’t mean they…do what humans do.”

“You mean ‘dance’?”

Rose frowned. It made Kari chuckle.

“Something tells me he does. And nothing changes the way you two look at each other. It’s like you have a big neon sign above your heads. ‘We’re in love with each other and are in denial!’” To emphasize her point, Kari ‘blinked’ her hands over her head.

Rose looked around nervously, almost as if she was afraid he’d walk in just then. “Stop it!” she said with a tense laugh.

Kari laughed and smiled, despite the sudden wave of discomfort she had just gotten that she couldn’t explain. “Fine, Rose, I’ll drop it. For now.” She turned and pointed a finger at her friend. “But don’t, for a moment, think this is the end of it.”

Rose leaned back in her chair, smiling and rolling her eyes. “Oh, great, something for me to look forward to.”

~*~&~*~

The Doctor was practically vibrating with excitement when he picked Rose and Kari up from the resort. It didn’t take long to find out why. When he opened the door for them, they came face to face with many of Kari’s closest friends. She openly gaped and looked between them and the Doctor, trying to figure out how long it had taken him to do this and just how those conversations had gone. The only person there that didn’t surprise her was Jack. Satisfied with her reaction, the Doctor led them all to the kitchen for cake and presents.

Once everyone had their fill of cake, the Doctor dismissed them to get ready for a ‘night on the town.’ He’d left the statement intentionally vague, although he had a few ideas. A few more sprang to mind when he caught the mischievous grins on Kari’s friends’ faces.

"This is pretty amazing what you've done for her." Jack said as he hung back, looking around at the decorations.

The Doctor leaned against the counter and smiled, relaxed, as he admired his handiwork. “You humans and your celebrations,” he said as he batted a balloon at Jack, smiling as it almost hit its mark. “Still, I guess if you’ve only got a hundred years or so…”

Jack smiled and shook his head as he hit the balloon back. “This was Rose’s idea, wasn’t it?”

The Doctor shrugged. “Little bit of both. Kari’s been a bit homesick lately. Not enough to actually want to do anything about it, mind you, just enough to make it obvious.”

Jack nodded as he watched the Doctor gather plates and pile them in the sink.

“I’m sure having all her friends here will help.”

“I’m sure it will, as long as I can keep sane. Seriously, is it normal for grown women to giggle like little girls when they get around people they’ve known for a long time?”

“Oh, this is nothing! Just wait until they get some alcohol in them.”

The Doctor rolled his eyes and finished putting the cake away. “I figured I’d take them to Aoila. There ought to be enough there to keep them busy for a few days at least.”

“Oh, I’m sure!” Jack leaned back in his chair and stretched his legs out in front of him, hands behind his head. “So, what’s been going on around here?” he asked with a slight quirk of his eyebrow.

“Well, I’ve spent the last week gathering friends on Earth, which was quite the chore,” the Doctor replied, smiling. “Though the look on her face made it worth it. Rose and Kari spent the last few hours on Unna getting pampered.”

“And how’re things with you and Rose?”

“Great!” the Doctor exclaimed enthusiastically.

“Good! So you’ve talked to her?”

“I talk to her every day.”

Jack closed his eyes and sighed. “Doc, you know what I’m talking about.”

“And you already know the answer to the question, so why ask?”

Jack leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Because I care? Because you left Kari and Rose together, with no distractions, for a couple of hours?”

“So? They were perfectly safe. There’s no trouble on that planet for them to get into, even if they tried.”

Jack squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. “God, you’re clueless.”

The Doctor raised a brow.

“Doctor, girls talk when left to their own devices.”

“So? They can talk. They talk all the time. Why wouldn’t I want them to talk?”

“Because there’s a very good chance they talked about you, and I don’t mean in some general way.”

Slipping his hands in his pockets and leaning against the counter, the Doctor shrugged. “I’m sure if there’s anything I need to know, I’ll hear about it soon enough.”

Jack stood up and leaned against the wall. “Look, I’m not going to lecture you about this, but I don’t think it’s fair to Rose to keep dragging this out.”

“She’s not exactly here under false pretenses, Jack.” The Doctor leveled a look on the other man. “If you think I would do anything to hurt her — or not do anything to keep her happy — then you really don’t know me very well.”

Jack scrubbed his hands down his face in frustration. “Doc, I know you would never hurt or do anything to make her unhappy. I do. It’s just that…” He sighed. “Doctor, we’ve already talked about this and you said you’d talk to her. I was just hoping it’d be sooner rather than later.”

The Doctor cleared his throat and turned away. “I hope you’re up to escorting a group of drunken humans around Aoila,” he said, changing the conversation abruptly. “I’ve got a feeling by the end of the night, I’m going to need all the help I can get.”

Jack nodded in resignation. “Guess it’s a good thing that’s one of my specialties. I’m gonna go get ready.” Not waiting for a response, he turned on his heel and left the kitchen.


	3. Chapter 3

“There’s bowling?” Victor suggested, looking over the list of attractions on Aoila.

Kari just shrugged.

“Oh! Looks like there’s some sort of concert going on!” Crystal offered.

Kari shook her head.

“I’ve got it!”

Kari glanced across the table.

“Page 3, line 48.”

Everyone turned to that page and Kari’s face lit up. “Karaoke!”

“And I’ve found what we can do after that!” Joy suggested. “Page 8, line 12.”

Kari grinned mischievously. “Oh, yes, there will be that, too!”

The Doctor raised a brow as he glanced over Kari’s shoulder at the brochure.

“Right. May I just ask why?”

“Because it’s my birthday?”

“Because it’s your birthday tradition, more like it.” Joy answered with a smirk.

“Tradition?” Jack raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Well, sort of. I never really intended it that way, but it has sort of become a tradition.”

“I like your style, Miss Maxwell!”

Kari grinned at him. “I never would’ve guessed!”

~*~&~*~

The strip club was loud and crowded, full of music and flashing lights, alcohol and cat calls. The past two women on stage weren’t even human in the strictest sense of the word, but it didn’t seem to matter much to the crowd. Overloaded on sensory input and a little tipsy, Rose broke away from Kari and the others at her first opportunity to do so discreetly. Once she was sure she wouldn’t be missed, she went in search of conversation of her own.

The Doctor was sitting at a table with a good vantage point, where he could sip his soda and watch the crowd of humans he was ultimately responsible for without being too involved. For a moment, she almost felt sorry for him. He must have been at least slightly amused from a ‘human sociology’ stand point, but the annoyance at the drunkenness — people falling all over each other — was showing through in spite of his best efforts. And he had little interest in the women.

“What’cha thinkin’ about?” Rose asked as she sat down beside him.

Turning to glance at her, he covered his annoyance with a smile. “Oh, just how fascinating it is that humans would find this type of thing so entertaining.”

Rose nodded and looked around, taking everything in. “Not my thing,” she admitted after a long pause. “But Kari’s having fun!”

The Doctor glanced at their friend and smiled in spite of himself. “Apparently.” He watched her for a moment then turned back and took another drink.

Rose frowned. “You’re not havin’ any fun, are ya?”

He gave a shrug. “Well…” Leaning forward on his elbows, he cast a sideways smile in her direction. “I could think of better things to do.”

“Well, yeah, so could I! But we’re here, so might as well make the most of it.”

“You seem to be.”

She leaned back and shrugged, taking a sip of her fruity drink and watching Kari laugh so hard she doubled over, clutching her sides. “Could be worse.”

“Oh, much worse. And like you said, she seems to be having a good time.”

“Yeah.” Rose tilted her head thoughtfully. “Though I gotta admit that I wasn’t expecting this!”

“Really?” he asked, glancing at her as she waved a hand around vaguely. He looked away again quickly. “’Bout what I was expecting. Of course, I’ve never been.”

She laughed. “I was talking about Kari wanting to come here!”

“Oh.”

She looked around again. “I’ve never been, either.”

“It’s amazing, you know.” he said reflectively. “Most species are genetically, instinctively programmed to only be attracted to their own kind. Even from the same planets, you never see cats mating with dogs or zebras with elephants.” He glanced briefly at her, as if to see if she was sober enough to follow him or if he was better off just not talking. She was glad she’d been listening. “But there’s probably at least a dozen humanoid races from different corners of the universe — some of them not even capable of sexual reproduction — all exchanging pheromones as if they were perfectly compatible.”

Are you? The words almost slipped passed her lips. But she wasn’t quite that drunk, thank goodness. She took a gulp from her drink — a bit too much at once, but she really couldn’t help it. “Really? Fascinating.”

“Well, think about it,” he continued. “Humans — even Earth humans, born to live and die on the same planet sharing ultimately the same experiences… You still find ways to segregate black from white, this culture from that culture. But here, it all melts together.”

Rose cocked her head and studied him, not sure if he was being ‘observant’ Doctor or if he somehow knew exactly what she and Kari had been talking about earlier.

“That woman dancing… they don’t even wear clothes on her planet. Culturally unnecessary. And I’d venture to say at least half the people in this room know it. But she still elicits a sexual response from them. It is sort of fascinating, really.”

She looked away as he glanced at her, hoping that it might keep him from noticing the blush that had spread across her face. After a moment’s pause, she hazarded a quick glance at him, and tried not to acknowledge the feeling of jealousy when she saw him looking at the girl on the pole. What was worse, the feeling quickly turned to guilt. She had no right to feel jealous, especially not when he’d been all but dragged to this strip club.

“There’s all sorts in here, isn’t there?” she asked quietly, trying to break the awkward silence that had fallen over them in the incredibly loud room.  
She could feel his eyes the moment they shifted to her, studying her curiously.

“So what’s on your mind?”

Her eyes shot back to him, widening in surprise. “Nothing!” she said, too quickly and a bit too high. He chuckled at the haste in her response and she frowned. Clearing her throat, she tried again. “Nothing, just thought I’d come talk to ya. You looked lonely.”

“You know,” his voice had that teasing tone to it — the one that always made her wonder if he had any idea just how attractive he really was — “if you’re trying to keep secrets, it’s best not to be drinking alcohol.”

She blinked, startled, and openly gaped for a moment before stammering. “I…I’m not keeping any secrets!” He laughed outright this time. “I… What makes you think that?”

Still smiling, he leaned in a bit closer. “The quick response, stammering for a suitable reply, blush all the way down your neck. Besides,” he sat up straight again and took another drink as he nodded to the woman on stage, still smiling as if he knew every ‘secret’ she was trying to keep. “She’s not the only one giving off pheromones in the room.”

She waved a hand vaguely, trying to seem nonchalant. “Well, of course she isn’t. We’re in a strip club.” She cringed a bit. Why even say something like that?

He chuckled again and took another drink before turning his back to the table — and the woman on stage — leaning back with his eyes fixed on Rose. Clearly, he was enjoying himself much more now than he had been before she’d come to sit with him. He was watching her with interest, although he didn’t speak.

She eyed him warily as his gaze burned into her. “Why ya lookin’ at me like that?”

He smiled wider. “I’m not looking at you like anything.”

“Yes, ya are. You’re all staring at me like…like that!” Flustered, she waved a hand up and down at him.

“Like what!” he laughed.

“Like…like…oohhh!” she set her drink down a little too hard, turned away from him and crossed her arms over her chest in frustration.

He chuckled again. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him reach back for his drink, finishing it before leaning over her shoulder to speak quietly in her ear. “Come on. You’ve had enough to drink and I’ve got something I want to show you.”

“Wha -?”

He didn’t give her a chance to protest or voice her opinion on the matter. Instead, he grabbed her hand, pulled her off her chair, and was halfway to the door with a wave in Jack’s general direction before she even fully got her feet underneath her.

~*~&~*~

Jack smirked as he nudged Kari with an elbow, nodding toward the retreating forms of the Doctor and Rose when she frowned at him.

“Where’re they off to?” she asked, slightly amused.

He shrugged. “No idea, but I’m sure it’s somewhere a bit more…private.”

The two shared a knowing smile before directing their attention back to the blue woman on the stage.

Jack leaned over so Kari could hear him over the loud music and cat calls. “I talked to the Doctor today.”

Kari raised an eyebrow. “About anything in particular, or just in general?”

“Him and Rose.”

She nodded. “Ah, yes, I talked to Rose about the very same thing today.”

He smirked. “I figured you would. How’d that go?”

Kari gave a noncommittal shrug. “About as well as I thought it would. She doesn’t believe there’s anything there on his side.”

“Sounds like it went better than my conversation.”

“Well, to be fair, I did have the easier of the two.” She gave him an apologetic smile. “How did it go for you?”

Jack leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “He danced around the subject better than that girl is dancing around that pole.”

Kari whistled. “Sorry, man, but I can’t say I’m surprised. Aliens or future tech, he’ll babble on for hours if no one stops him. Feelings or anything domestic and it’s like someone super glued his lips together.”

He sighed. “I wish I could say I don’t understand where he’s coming from, but I do.” Kari glanced over her shoulder at him, prompting him to continue. “I have no idea if I can die permanently, let alone when. There’s no one out there that I can give my forever. Combine that with some of the stuff I’ve done…” He trailed off, not wanting to elaborate on his past.

She nodded. “I understand his apprehension; it just kills me seeing them so close yet so far away from each other.”

“Well, and it doesn’t help that you’ve seen what can happen when he’s lost her.”

“Yeah, there is that.”

They dropped into silence for a moment, their attentions being drawn to the newest dancer and the various antics of Kari’s friends and the other patrons of the club.

Jack looked around them and smirked. “So, strip clubs as a birthday tradition, huh?”

Kari laughed and rolled her eyes, choosing to not answer him. That was a story for another time.

~*~&~*~

If Rose didn’t know better, she would’ve sworn that everything around her was real — that the sky above them was truly that beautiful swirl of purple and pink and pale blue, that the moss and flowers and streams were natural and the sunlight streaming through the trees overhead wasn’t the result of some lamp in the room she couldn’t see. It seemed impossible that this was the same planet as the crazy, hectic, metropolitan circus not far away.

The Doctor was watching her carefully, half-hiding his smile as he waited for her reaction, like a kid on Christmas morning. “Do you like it?”

She slowly nodded, openly gaping. “Yeah.” she breathed, trying to take it all in. “It’s beautiful.”

His smile broadened and he slipped his hands into his pockets as he started down the stone steps. “I think they took a lot of their inspiration from Earth. Japanese gardens — just about any century prior to 6200 and the globalized renaissance.” His thoughts wandered a bit. “So much cultural history lost there… “ Just as quickly, he was back and smiling again. “Of course, most of these plants could never grow on Earth. Not enough suns.”

Rose tried to keep up with him while looking everywhere. The garden was a whole different kind of sensory overload from the club. While trying to find the bird attached to a beautiful song she could hear, she stumbled down a step and into the Doctor. “Oof! Sorry!”

There was a brief moment of concern before he smiled and steadied her. “You alright?”

She stood and straightened her shirt, trying to hide her embarrassment. “Yup, I’m good.” She bit her lip as she gingerly snaked her arm through his. “I think I’ll just hang on to you, though. If you don’t mind, that is!” she rushed out, blushing.

He smiled back. “Of course I don’t mind. Why would I mind?” He moved his hand to hers, lacing their fingers together and squeezing reassuringly.

She smiled back, relaxing at his touch. “Thank you.”

He breathed in deep as he continued more slowly. “Do you smell that? The scent kind of like rain? That’s actually a flower. Tiny little thing, too, about the size of your thumbnail. Just one of them, you can smell it almost a mile away.” Smiling and relaxed, he wandered, looking around but never really taking his attention off of her.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her smile broadening when she smelled it. “That’s amazing.”

“And a bit prettier to look at.” He tipped his head back to stare straight up at the treetops and the colorful sky beyond them. “In my own personal opinion…” he said to himself.

Rose looked up and her heart melted at the expression on his face. It was rare to see him so relaxed, so at peace. She squeezed his hand and followed his gaze up to the sky. “Yeah, it is.”

The Doctor looked at her curiously. “I thought you were enjoying yourself. Not as much as Kari, but…”

She shrugged, slowly looking away from the sky. “I was, I am. But there’s only so much I can take, ya know?”

“No, what do you mean?” he asked casually as they started walking again.

“Just all the noise and lights and people. Gets a bit much after a while.” She laughed and shook her head. “I have no idea how she can handle it. How any of them can.”

“I’m sure the alcohol helps.”

She quirked an eyebrow and smirked at him. “Didn’t seem to help me much.” She smiled, tongue between her teeth.

He grinned back knowingly. “Sure it did. You just have a different focus of attention.”

“Oh, is that so? And just what is that, hmm?” she asked as she bumped him with her shoulder.

“You tell me.”

She looked up at him, slightly confused, her mind still swirling from the alcohol, club and sudden change in scenery. She blushed again when she realized what she thought he meant. She quickly looked away. “Well, like I said, I was just coming to talk to you. You looked lonely.”

“Bored, more like. I certainly didn’t mind the company.”

She cleared her throat and nodded, still not looking at him. “Good. That’s good.” Her eyes went wide as she quickly looked at him. “Not that you were bored! Just that, ya know, you enjoyed the company.” She looked away again.

“Mmmhmmm.”

They paused on a small bridge that crossed a quiet, trickling stream, and he turned to lean back on the railing, pulling her in front of him, not letting go of her hand.

“So, do you always blush like this when you’re drunk?”

She blinked at him in surprise, stammering. “I…well…maybe?” she squeaked out.

He chuckled. “Are you sure?”

She tried to look everywhere but at him, feeling the heat from her blush spreading clear to her toes. She rocked back on her heels slightly, trying to be casual. “It really is lovely here, isn’t it?”

His smile softened and the hand that wasn’t holding hers came up to cup her chin, tipping her eyes back to his. “Rose…” he said quietly.

Her eyes locked with his and she swallowed hard against her dry throat.

“Doctor?”

He studied her for a long moment. But then his eyes slowly dropped, and his hand moved back into her hair as he pulled her into a hug, wrapping his other arm around her protectively. Whatever sad thoughts had crossed his mind in that moment, they couldn’t have been more intrusive if they’d been neon pink and blinking. Instead of speaking, he just held her close for a long moment.  
Rose tensed in surprise before relaxing against him and wrapping her arms around him, holding him tight.

He was quiet for a moment. Then, suddenly, he pulled back, taking her hand again. “C’mon. We need to get back before Kari’s friends start… getting themselves arrested or something.”


	4. Chapter 4

The Doctor had chased everyone out of the control room almost as soon as they got back. The last thing he wanted was a bunch of drunken humans bumbling around and blowing them up. They had retired to the kitchen to indulge in cheese fries and coffee. While everyone sat around the table, laughing and talking, Jack and Kari noticed Rose was very distant.

Kari nudged Jack, leaning over to whisper to him. “What’s up with her?”

Jack shrugged. “No idea. Was thinking I’d talk to her once everyone’s out of here.”

Kari nodded and went back to visiting with her friends.

The various guests slowly trickled out of the kitchen until all that were left were Jack and Rose. Jack sat across the table from her, watching her. She’d been distant ever since the Doctor had dragged her off to places unknown. Jack took a bite of fries.

“So, where’d the Doctor whisk you off to tonight?”

“Hmm? Oh.” Rose looked away, picking at her fries. “Nowhere, really. It was garden of some sort.”

His brows raised in interest. “Oh? That sounds nice. Anything interesting there?”

She shrugged. “Flowers… pretty sky.” Her eyes stayed down, but she forced a smile, trying to lighten her tone. “Nothing spectacular.”

He smiled softly, reaching across the table to squeeze her hand. “Rose, what’s wrong?”

She startled. “What? Nothing. I’m fine.” She withdrew her hand and sat up straighter with her best fake smile on.

He chuckled. “You know I know you better than that. You’ve been distant ever since you got back from that garden.” He paused, but she didn’t answer. Instead, she sighed and flopped back in her chair, letting her smile fall and a look of frustration take its place.

“You know you can talk to me, right?” he prodded gently.

“I just don’t get him,” she finally started. “He says things I think he can’t be saying and then he says more and he says — does — all these things like I’m just supposed to understand and make it easier but every time I think I do, he… changes.” She dared a quick, hooded look at Jack. “Makes me wonder if he ever really said anything at all or if I was just imagining it all along.”

He frowned slightly as he leaned back in his chair. “What do you think he said?”

“I don’t know.”

He smiled softly. “You don’t know because you can’t remember or because you’re afraid you’re wrong?”

“There’s nothing to remember.” She leaned forward on the table holding her head. “That’s the whole problem.”

He tilted his head and frowned slightly again, concerned. “Hon, what happened in the garden?”

She looked right at him. “Nothing.” she said with complete honesty.

He smiled knowingly. “Ah, gotcha. Did something almost happen?”

Rose rolled her eyes. “Well, if I knew that, I wouldn’t be so bloody confused.”

Jack laughed and shook his head. “Sorry, Rosie, but no matter what species, men are men.” He leaned forward on the table. “What did he do or not do that has you so confused?”

She sighed and sat back again into the same reclined, resigned position. “It doesn’t matter.” She paused a moment, and then looked up at him. “You know, it’s funny but… even though I could never leave — and, really, I never could — sometimes I really wonder how I can stay.”

His eyes grew sad at her admission, his suspicions confirmed. He knew she’d never leave willingly, but that the constant frustration was hard on her. He put on his most convincing smile. “It’s all worth it, Rosie. The traveling, the excitement, and the confusion are all worth it. You just have to be patient.”

“Oh, I know.” She smiled tightly and looked away. “And I couldn’t leave. Even if I wanted to I just… “She paused for a long moment before looking back up at him. “I couldn’t.”

He nodded. “I know.” He heaved a sigh. “Have you considered talking to him about it?”

She shrugged. “I don’t think there’s really much to talk about.”

Jack quirked an eyebrow. “How do you know if you don’t try?”

Rose shot him a look. “You’re as bad as Kari.”

He smiled and shrugged. “Us girls have to stick together.” He looked at her pointedly. “But we do have a point. You’re going to be eternally confused if you don’t at least try to find out what’s going on.”

“It doesn’t matter. Any way you look at it, it can’t turn out the way I want it to, so why make things worse?”

He leaned back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling, acting nonchalant. “Oh, I don’t know about that.”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, now you really sound like her.”

He looked back at her, smirking. “Well, then, maybe you should listen to us.” His smirk turned into a smile. “Rose, just talk to him, tell him what you told me about being confused. He might just surprise you.”

She hesitated a long moment, and then shrugged as she studied the floor. “I’ll think about it.”

“That’s all I can ask.”

~*~&~*~

Rose hovered in the hallway, just outside the entrance to the control room. She watched as the Doctor slowly walked around the console flipping what seemed like random switches and adjusting various dials. The relationship he had with the TARDIS had always left her awed. While she frequently gave him a hard time about his ‘driving,’ she knew flying the TARDIS was difficult. He had once mentioned it was designed to be flown by seven people and he managed to do it all by himself. He knew what each dial, button, and switch did. Well, mostly, she thought with a small smile.

“You going to come in or just stand there?” he asked casually, not looking up from the console.

Rose cleared her throat and shifted on her feet. “You look busy. I’ll just come back later.” She turned to leave.

“No, not busy.” He paused, studying her, and then turned away quickly as soon as their eyes met. He continued to try to be casual. “So, where would you like to go?”

She slowly turned and walked into the room and shrugged. “I don’t know. Any-where’s fine.”

She looked all around her, trying to avoid eye contact. She had no idea how to bring the subject up, but she knew Jack and Kari were right. She needed to talk to him about the confusion and frustration.

He nodded, busying himself with the console. God knew what he was really doing with those dials and wheels.

Tentatively, she walked up to the console and acted like she was scrutinizing the various buttons and switches. She ran her hand along until she was almost directly across from him, putting the rotor between them. Rose risked a quick glance at him before looking back at the console.

“So, last night was fun,” she said a bit too casually.

“Yes, I think Kari enjoyed it.”

Rose nodded. “Yeah, she did.” She looked up at him without lifting her head.

“What about you?”

“Well…“ he hesitated a moment. “Seen one drunken party, you’ve seen them all.”

“Oh, yeah, s’pose so.” She looked back down.

He glanced up, too casually. “And you?”

She blanched a bit as she continued to move around the console. “Oh! Yeah, yeah, I did,” she said quickly. “That garden was lovely.”

“Glad you liked it.”

“Yeah.” She paused, absently tracing symbols on the console with her fingers as she gathered her courage. She smiled inwardly at the fact that she’d faced ghosts, Cybermen, and had her face taken by a TV, but was terrified by this conversation.

“Um, about last night…” she trailed off.

He looked up at her, just with his eyes, as he remained leaned forward on the console.

She swallowed, her throat dry, as she continued to move slowly around so the rotor was no longer between them. “It’s just that…“ She blew out a breath and looked up at him. “It’s just that you really confused me.”

He straightened slowly and turned to face her, but kept his eyes down. His jaw was set, like a teenager being scolded, but his eyes held no anger, only distance.

Rose continued to move toward him, slowly, as she spoke, her eyes cast down. “It seemed like you were flirting in the club and you took me to that beautiful garden. And then…“ She paused, taking a deep breath, her voice getting quiet. “Then it seemed like you were going to kiss me.”

The Doctor’s jaw ticked and he drew in a slow, noticeable breath, cutting his eyes in the other direction but still lowered, his voice tense. “I’m sorry.”

She stopped, shocked and hurt by his apology. She began wringing her hands as she stared at the floor. “Oh.” She raised her eyes to him, her voice slightly shaky. “Am I wrong? I know I was drunk, but…”

He hesitated a long moment, and then looked up at her, his eyes piercing. “Yes.”

She swallowed, concentrating on not letting the tears in her eyes fall.

He paused, frustration filtering through. “Yes, you’re wrong. We’re both wrong. This is wrong. This…“ He took a deep breath and shook his head as he looked away, lowering his voice again. “Rose, there’s no possible scenario where that could end well.”

She blinked at him in shock, realizing what he said. She took a tentative step closer to him. “But… why?”

“Because you’re human.” His frustration was breaking through again. “We’ve had this discussion before, Rose, a very long time ago.”

She took a step back and looked at the floor again, wringing her hands. “Oh, right.”

Lowering his voice a bit, he finally dared a quick look back at her. “And maybe it is entirely selfish of me, but I can’t…“ He shook his head as he looked away. “I can’t go through that again.”

She looked at him and frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I’m a Time Lord, Rose. My people, my species… we mate for life. And that’s intended to be a very long time. When that bond is broken, it hurts — it burns — for years, for centuries!” His eyes locked hard on hers. “You don’t even know me, Rose. Not really. There are so many things about me you don’t know. Things that would make you run out that door screaming, never looking back — and you’d have a right to! And I can’t live with that.” He took a step closer, voice lowering as he held her arms gently. “Because I will pay with the rest of my life for every second I spend loving you.”

Her eyes locked on his as the tears she’d been holding back spilled out. She stood up straight and squared her shoulders. “Tell me.”

He looked at her, confused. “What?”

“Tell me what you’ve done that makes you think I’d run away screaming.”

He stared at her incredulously. “Does it matter? That’s not even the point!”

“It does matter, Doctor. It matters a great deal because I’m not going anywhere any time soon if I have any say in it. So if you have some skeletons in your closet that you think will scare me off, you might as well come out with them now so as to save us both time.”

She raised a challenging eyebrow, putting the ball fully in his court. His eyes narrowed at her, and just for a moment, she caught a glimpse of raw anger — rage and pain and hatred - before he took a step back, turned away, and growled low at her. “Get out.”

She frowned, confused. “What?”

He spun back to her, eyes on fire. “I said get out! Go somewhere! Not here!”

Her eyes were huge as she stumbled back a few steps before turning and running out, tears streaming down her face.


	5. Chapter 5

“Ow! Dammit!” the Doctor exclaimed as he burnt himself, again, while doing “repairs” on the TARDIS. He knew nothing needed to be done, but he had to keep himself busy. Kari was sleeping, and, well, Rose…

He ran his hands down his face. Rose. What the hell was he going to do with her? He couldn’t believe she had asked him — told him! — to tell her all his nasty, dirty secrets. Why would she want to know when he didn’t want to remember them himself? Why couldn’t she just be satisfied with not knowing? With knowing that he cared enough to spare her the pain he felt daily.

Pulling himself up, he decided to go get a cup of tea. Down the endless hallway and into the kitchen, he stopped short when he saw Rose with her head down on the table. He thought about turning and leaving, but forged forward, quietly so as not to disturb her. Or face her...

"I'm not asleep; you don't have to sneak around."

His jaw clenched. He continued what he was doing, not looking at her. “I'm making myself some tea, you want some?"

"No thanks." After a moment, she finally lifted her head and wiped tears away.

"So where are we off to next?"

“Not sure yet.”

"Oh. Okay."

His back still to her, he tried to take some of the edge out of his voice. "Is there somewhere you want to go?"

"I want to go home."

He closed his eyes and clenched the edge of the counter. He wasn’t at all surprised by her request. “Alright.”

“Just for a while,” she clarified. “I just need to see my mum.”

“Alright. Earth it is.” He turned and left the kitchen, not sparing a glance at her.

Twenty minutes later, the Doctor busied himself with ‘repairs’ under the console as Rose walked out the TARDIS doors and onto her home planet, neither exchanging a word.

~*~&~*~

BANG

Kari was jolted awake by the sounds of a Time Lord left to his own devices, something that was all together a too common of an occurrence. She slid out of bed and sleepily wandered out to the control room where she found the Doctor under the console, sparks still spitting out. She stood over him, arms crossed, and cleared her throat.

The Doctor pulled himself out and was met by a glare he was becoming a bit used to.

“What?”

“What do you mean ‘what’? You know full well what!” she scolded him, too tired to notice the tone in his voice.

“I was just making adjustments.”

Glaring at him a moment more, she spun on her heal and headed to the kitchen for coffee.

Heaving a sigh, he followed her.

“You slept a long time.”

“Well, yes, had a bit of a rough night last night.” She looked at him over her shoulder. “You should know, you were there.”

A muscle in his jaw twitched as he nodded stiffly. “Yeah, of course.”

She eyed him warily as she sat down, finally noticing his posture and the waves of apprehension coming off of him. She hesitated before she spoke.

“So, where are we?”

The Doctor looked down at his folded hands on the table. “In the Vortex.”

She frowned slightly. “But, I thought I felt us land earlier.”

He nodded stiffly. “You did.”

“Okay. Where did we land?”

He finally looked up at her, anger flashing through his eyes. “Rose wanted to go home for a while.”

Kari sat back in her chair and blinked. “Oh.” She took a sip of coffee before venturing to speak again. “Is everything okay?”

The Doctor looked back down at the table. “Yep.” His voice betrayed any amount of casualness he may have been attempting.

Kari closed her eyes, trying to clear her head and think. She could tell he didn’t want to talk about whatever had happened and she wasn’t going to push it. Not right now, at least. She decided the best tactic would be distraction. She pushed away from the table and stood up.

“Right, well, we might as well find somewhere or when to go until she’s ready to come back. I think some running will do us some good.” She tried to sound as light as possible.

The Doctor nodded and stood up, turning to follow her out. “I’ll go figure something out,” he said quietly before stopping. “Thank you.”

She stopped and turned, frowning. “For what?”

“For not asking what happened.”

She stepped forward and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “You’re welcome.”

~*~&~*~

Kari came out to the Doctor moving around the console, his stance tense despite trying to put on an air of normalcy. He didn’t look up as he spoke.

“There’s a migration happening right now. Happens every 100 years. Figured it’s as good a distraction as anything.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Alright. When and where is this happening?”

“Just outside London, September 2007.”

“What kind of migration?”

Flipping the final switch and landing them, the Doctor walked toward the door as he started to answer, grabbing his coat off a strut. Kari had to run to catch up with him as it didn’t seem to matter to him if she followed or not.

“The Pholaris, human-sized birds. They started using Earth as one of their hatching grounds after the last ice age. It’s a big deal for them. They hold a week-long celebration mostly only consisting of their own kind and any aliens in the neighborhood that know what’s going on. Humans have stumbled upon it a few times through history, leading to some interesting myths.”

She tilted her head in curiosity. “Oh? Such as?”

He smirked slightly. “You’ll see.”

They walked on in slightly tense silence until they came upon what looked like a renaissance faire. There was a large wooden fence with spires at the corners and colorful flags flying on either side of the entrance. Once inside,

Kari marveled at the various booths: food, games, and trinket vendors. Her eyes went wide with realization when she saw what she assumed were the Pholaris.

“Phoenixes!”

The Doctor nodded as he shoved his hands in his pockets. “Yup. Some Greeks came upon their celebration one year and witnessed the hatching itself, which requires fire. Apparently, they also witnessed a tragic accident wherein one of the Pholari perished in the fire. All the Greeks saw was one bird dying and another rising from the ashes.”

Kari watched the large, beautiful orange, red, and white birds move among the booths, talking among themselves. She was snapped out of her observations when the Doctor tugged on her arm.

“Come on. Let’s look around.”

Nodding absently, she followed him, trying to keep her jaw from dropping again. They went along, looking at various wares, Kari quite obviously more interested in what they were looking at than he was. She quickly gave up on trying to show him anything after the first couple ‘yup’s and ‘mmhmm’s. It also became very obvious this outing wasn’t distracting him from whatever had happened with Rose. Casting her eyes around, she smiled as she found something that might interest him. She grabbed his arm and dragged him toward a sign.

“What’re you doing?”

“I’m trying to find something that will actually distract you, and I think I found it,” she said as she pointed at the sign.

He raised an eyebrow. “What about it?”

She gave an exasperated sigh. “Read it.”

Shaking his head, he ran his eyes over it.

‘Win the honor of killing the Lizard God! Find four items representing Industry, Religion, Nature, and Art on Terra and you could vanquish the God that once tried to extinguish the Pholari flame. Enter tent to sign up. All species welcome.’

“Kari, why would I want to vanquish a Lizard God?”

She shrugged. “Why not? Please, just humor me and go in the tent to at least get details.”

Sighing and rolling his eyes, he walked in, Kari hot on his heels with a satisfied smile on her face. Once inside, they approached a table with two Pholari behind it. Kari admired the beautiful feathers while the Doctor spoke to them.

“Are you interested in participating in the Lizard God competition, sir?”

“Yeah, about that. What lizard god are you vanquishing and why?”

“It is an effigy of the Lizard God that tried to extinguish the Pholari flame many millennia ago. It is a part of the hatching celebration.”

The Doctor seemed to perk up just a little bit. “Oh, so the winner wouldn’t be killing an actual lizard?”

Both Pholari shook their heads. “Oh, no, sir! We would never ask someone to kill! It is simply a wooden depiction of the God. The winner shoots a flaming arrow into it, vanquishing it.”

Kari looked up at him hopefully and he sighed. “Alright, fine, what do we have to do?”

~*~&~*~

The Doctor adjusted the bow across his chest before looking over the instructions of the competition again.

“Alright, we have to find representations of industry, religion, art, and nature on Earth. Categories can be combined. We have four hours to do this.” He looked up at Kari as she struggled with the quiver of arrows. “Any ideas?”

Finally getting them adjusted on her back, she twisted her mouth in thought.

“What year is this again?”

“2007.”

She nodded. “What about a smartphone for industry? It shows the extreme advancement of communication and technology.”

“That could work. I think the first iPhone came out a few months ago, though not here yet. Might have one hidden in the TARDIS somewhere.”

“Alright, now what about the rest? How can we represent something as broad as religion on a planet that has hundreds of religions and counting?”

The Doctor leaned out and hailed a cab. “A compass.”

She blinked up at him. “A what?”

“A compass. There are two things that all religions have in common: they have a moral compass, though they can’t agree on what exactly those morals are, and they all want to spread across the planet.”

Groaning as they climbed into the cab, having to adjust the quiver again, she leaned back. “That makes sense. What about the rest?”

He shrugged. “No idea. Was thinking we’d hit a park and see if inspiration hits us.”

Nodding, Kari resolved herself to looking around her, allowing her mind to wander to the fact that there were currently at least two versions of her on Earth: the ‘past’ her, somewhere on the American west coast, and the ‘current’ her, riding in a cab with an alien. A small part of her wanted to be able to go to that ‘past’ her and assure her that everything would be okay.

She was snapped out of her thoughts as the cab came to a stop.

“Where are we?” she asked as she climbed out behind the Doctor.

He stood and looked around. “Not sure. I think there’s a park that way.”

Kari looked in the opposite direction and saw a park a block or two away.

“There’s one right there.”

“Doctor?” a voice came from behind them as they started for the park.

Kari couldn’t help closing her eyes and shaking her head when she saw who it was. Looking up, she verified her suspicions by the name of the shop the young woman had come out of: Sparrow and Nightingale. It was Sally Sparrow. She stepped forward and tugged on the Doctor’s coat.

“Doctor, we need to get going. The migration has started.”

“Yeah, okay…” he turned back to Sally. “I’m sorry, but we need to go. I’ve got four things to deal with. Well, four things and a lizard.”

Sally looked around the Doctor to Kari and frowned. “Who’re you? Where’s  
Rose and Martha?”

Kari’s eyebrows shot up in surprise and she swallowed around a suddenly dry throat. What did she mean who was she? Was something going to happen to her? Was she going to be the one replaced by Martha? She didn’t realize she’d frozen in the middle of the road until the Doctor took her hand and squeezed it.

“Kari? You okay?”

She shook her head and smiled up at him. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just caught off guard by her question.”

He gave her a reassuring smile. “Just because she didn’t recognize you doesn’t mean anything is going to happen to you.” He frowned slightly as he started leading her out of the street. “Did you know who that was?”

She nodded. “Yeah.”

“Hmm, I figured as much.” He held up the packet Sally had handed him. “So you know what’s in here?”

Kari glanced at it and paled slightly. “Yes, yes I do and I’d really rather not talk about it.”

Letting go of her hand, he shoved the packet into one of his many pockets.

“Fair enough. Now, to the park!”

~*~&~*~

The Doctor and Kari stood on a stage in front of a large crowd of Pholaris and various other visiting aliens with their collected items. They had been deemed the winners and were to present their items before ‘vanquishing’ the Lizard God. They held up the iPhone first.

“For industry, we present a smartphone — specifically, an iPhone. It is a portable communications device that also allows the user to listen to music, watch videos, and look up almost any kind of information in the blink of an eye.”

Kari snorted to herself, remembering the original issues with the iPhone. “If you blink really slow, maybe.”

He shot a quick glare at her before continuing. “For religion, we present a compass. Terra has literally thousands of religions, few of which can agree on anything. However, they all have a moral compass of some sort. They also have a desire to spread out across the planet.”

Handing the compass to Kari, the Doctor picked up their next offering. “For art and nature, we present a child’s drawing of a tree. It is an extremely simple, yet beautiful, depiction of both categories.”

Bowing his head slightly to the applause, he put the drawing down and removed the bow from across his chest. Pulling an arrow out of the quiver, Kari dipped the tip in the flammable liquid the Pholari had provided, lit it, and handed it to the Doctor. Taking aim on the Lizard God, he shouted the phrase he had been instructed to say.

“Lizard God, we vanquish you with flame so you may never again try to extinguish ours!”

Letting loose the arrow, the Doctor took a step back and marveled with the rest of the crowd as the Lizard went up in flames.

“Wow,” Kari breathed.

The Doctor put his arm around Kari and squeezed, his eyes never leaving the burning Lizard.

“Thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to give credit to my 11 yr old god daughter, Rhiannon, for giving me the idea of the aliens looking like Phoenixes. I had no idea what to go with, so asked her to come up with something. This is the product of that. :)


	6. Chapter 6

Kari felt her phone vibrate in her pocket as they stepped back into the TARDIS and answered it without looking.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Kari, it’s Rose.”

Shooting a glance at the Doctor, who was watching her carefully, she headed out of the control room to the privacy of a hallway.

“You okay?”

Rose huffed. “No, I’m really not. Is he still being an ass?” she asked bitterly.

Kari leaned against a wall and closed her eyes. “No, but he’s not in the best of moods, either.”

“Did he tell you what happened?”

“No, and I didn’t ask. I figure one or both of you will tell me in your own time.” Kari sighed. “Are you coming back, Rose?” she asked, fear in her voice.

Her friend sniffed, obviously crying. “Yeah, I just needed some time.”

“That makes sense.” Kari blew out a breath of relief she didn’t know she’d been holding. “I know he’ll be in a better mood once you’re back.”

“Oh, please, I don’t think he even cared that I left.” Rose bit out.

Kari slid down the wall and leaned her head back against it. “He cares, Rose. He has a crap way of showing it sometimes, but he does.”

Rose sucked in a breath as she sobbed. “He didn’t even say goodbye or come out from under the console when I left, Kari.”

She ran her hand down her face, frustrated. “I’m sorry, Rose.”

Her friend gave a tight laugh. “Not your fault he’s a git.”

Kari laughed. “No, it most certainly is not.”

“Well, I’m going to get off here. Mum’s on a bit of a tirade, as I’m sure you can imagine, and won’t be pleased that I’m planning on coming back.”

Kari laughed. “Can’t say that I blame her right now.” She got somber. “You wanting to come back now?”

“Yeah. Could you please let the Doctor know?”

“Sure. See you soon.”

“See you soon.”

Pulling her knees to her chest, Kari hung up and dropped her phone in her lap, laying her head on her knees. Sighing, she ran her hands through her hair, her mind swirling as she tried to figure out the best way to approach the Time Lord. She knew he was upset and wouldn’t take kindly to her pushing this issue. But she had to think about Rose, too.

“God dammit!” she growled as she quickly sat back against the wall, hitting her head on it. “This is not supposed to be happening.” She closed her eyes against the frustration of the situation and pain from hitting her head on the wall. “Why couldn’t it all just fall into place? Just for once be fucking easy.”  
She slowly pulled herself up and walked back to the control room, noticing the Doctor watching her out of the corner of his eye.

“That was Rose, but you know that already.” She sat down on the jump seat and watched him carefully. She saw him pause slightly in his movements and tense, a muscle twitching in his jaw, but he made no move to look up or speak. “Don’t worry, she didn’t tell me what happened.”

“Oh.” His voice was quiet and eyes never left the console.

“She wants to come back, Doctor.” Kari said quietly, trying to judge his reaction.

The Doctor raised his eyes to her, giving her an almost challenging look. “I never said she couldn’t.”

She nodded. “I know, and I know you’d never tell her she wasn’t welcome here. But she’s afraid you don’t care that she left.”

“Well, she’s wrong.” His voice was strained and almost sad as he looked back down at the console.

Kari continued to watch him, afraid to push the subject but didn’t want to drag it out. She startled when he spoke.

“Are you just going to sit there and stare at me all day?” he asked annoyed.

“No, I’m not. But I’m also not going to drop this subject just like that.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

She took a few cleansing breaths. “I think you need to talk to her about this.”

His head snapped up, anger flashing across his features, making her flinch slightly. “Why? Why should we talk about it? So I can hurt her again? So I can drag up memories I keep locked up just to scare her away?” he dropped his head again, his voice almost inaudible. “She’s better off not being here with me.”

She slowly stood and walked up to the console, tentatively taking steps toward the agitated Time Lord. She spoke quietly.

“But are you better off without her?”

He stood and scrubbed his hands down his face, possibly trying to wipe away evidence of tears. Leaning his head back, he closed his eyes and sighed heavily.

“No, but what does it matter?” He opened his eyes and finally made eye contact with Kari. “As soon as I tell her the things I’ve done, she won’t want to be here. She’ll run, screaming, and will have every right to.”

Kari nodded knowingly and tilted her head in thought. “Did I run?”

“What?”

“Did I run?”

“What are you talking about?”

She sighed. “You know, for all that you go on about that huge Time Lord brain of yours, you frequently forget just how much I knew before I took your hand and offer to come with you. I may not know everything — not even close — but I know a great deal and I still agreed to travel with you. I knew what I was getting into. I ask again, did I run?”

He shook his head slowly, still looking confused. “Obviously not because you’re standing here.”

“Exactly. I came with you in spite and because of what I know. Rose chose to travel with you even after she almost got killed by shop window dummies and you blew up her work. She’s dealt with ghosts and Daleks and missiles being fired at her and she’s still with you.” She smiled sadly. “Doctor, I’m not going to say that you have to tell her, but I do think you owe her the right to make the decision herself. She might surprise you.”

He scoffed. “You sound like Jack.”

She smirked. “Huh. Funny that. Great minds think alike.” She took a few more steps toward him and laid a comforting hand on his arm, causing him to tense slightly. “Please, talk to her; give her a chance to decide for herself.”

“What if you’re wrong? What if she doesn’t surprise me?” he asked, pleading eyes on her. “What if she tells me to get out of her life and never see her again?”

Kari looked into large, wet, sad brown eyes. She searched them, hoping the answers to his questions were hidden there because she sure as hell didn’t have them. She shook her head sadly. “I don’t know, Doctor. I wish I did, but I don’t.” she said quietly, her own eyes wet from unshed tears.

He closed his eyes and looked away. “No, of course you don’t.”  
Without another word, the Doctor put in the coordinates for Powell Estate.


	7. Chapter 7

The TARDIS had barely materialized when a loud pounding sounded on the door. Kari shot the Doctor a look as he swung the monitor around.

“What the hell? She couldn’t be down here that quick,” he mumbled as he tried to figure out what was going on. His face fell. “Oh no,” he breathed out.

“You daft alien git! What the hell you doin’ parking this thing here?” Jackie yelled through the door.

Kari’s eyes went wide. “Did you park in the living room?”

His eyes shot over to her briefly. “I didn’t mean to!” he snapped, irritated, as he started flipping switches to move them.

Everything jerked as they dematerialized and rematerialized quickly, the Doctor checking to make sure they were outside this time. He sighed out.

“Okay, we’re where we should be now.”

The Doctor leaned his hands on the console and took a few deep breaths. Kari walked over and gently laid a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s going to be okay. I’ll do what I can to run interference with Jackie. You just focus on talking to Rose, alright?” she said calmly, trying to ease some of his tension.

He gave a quick, short laugh. “Interestingly, I think I’d rather deal with Jackie right now.”

She shook her head and smiled slightly as she pulled on her jacket. “Come on, then, let’s go get this over with.”

Reluctantly, he pushed off the console and followed her down the ramp, grabbing his coat off a strut as he walked passed.

They slowly made their way up to Jackie’s apartment. They stared at the door for a moment before Kari turned the knob and walked in, glancing back to make sure the Doctor actually followed her.

“Happy belated birthday, sweetheart!” Jackie exclaimed as she swept Kari into a hug.

Kari smiled brightly. “Thank you! How are you?”

“Oh, you know me! Just trudging on.” Jackie’s smile fell when she saw the Doctor standing behind Kari, his hands shoved in his pockets. She glared. “So, finally decided to show your face, huh?”

He sighed. “Where’s Rose, Jackie?”

The woman pushed passed Kari so she was almost face to face with him. “You think you can just waltz in here after breaking my daughter’s heart and parking your damn box in my flat and expect me to just let you see my Rose?”

“I’m sorry for parking the TARDIS in the sitting room. Please, Jackie, where’s Rose? I need to talk to her.”

“Don’t you think you’ve done enough damage with your talkin’?”

Kari looked around and saw Rose sitting on her bed, head in her hands. She turned back to the Doctor and nodded toward the room. She placed a hand on Jackie’s shoulder.

“Jackie, please, they need to talk. Why don’t we go make some tea?”

The older woman spun around, anger flashing in her eyes. “What? You on his side, now?”

Kari shook her head. Her voice was calm and quiet. “No, I’m on their side, and they need to talk.” She nodded toward the kitchen. “Come on. Let’s give them some space.”

Heaving a sigh, Jackie relented. “Fine.” She turned back to the Doctor and stuck her finger in his face. “Don’t go hurting her any more than you already have or I’ll smack you straight into your next face.” Spinning on her heel, she followed Kari into the kitchen.

Blowing out a breath he’d been holding, the Doctor quietly walked into Rose’s room. He closed the door behind him and leant against it, watching her carefully, hands shoved back in his pockets.

Rose sat on the edge of the bed, eyes on the floor, and scuffing it with her shoe. Neither party wanted to be the first to speak, afraid of a repeat performance from earlier.

“I’m sorry,” Rose mumbled, finally speaking up, still looking at the floor. “I shouldn’t have pushed you. It wasn’t fair of me.”

The Doctor’s eyes were dark as he continued to watch her, a muscle twitching in his jaw. He closed his eyes.

“I’m sorry I yelled at you.”

She shrugged. “S’kay, I deserved it.”

“No, you didn’t, Rose.” He opened his eyes and pushed off the door, gingerly sitting down next to her on the bed. “You never deserve to see that side of me.” His eyes were on the floor, almost mimicking her position.

“But —“

“Rose, stop,” the Doctor interrupted, voice firm. “No matter what you ever say or do, you never deserve for me to treat you like that. I was just…” he took a deep breath. “I’m scared, Rose.”

She turned her head to look at him, confused. “What of?”

He shrugged. “Lots of things, actually. But mostly of losing you.”

She reached out and placed a comforting hand on his. “I’m not going anywhere, Doctor. I promised you forever and I mean it, no matter what.”

He looked down at their hands before looking up at her, the fear showing in his eyes. “But don’t you see, Rose? Your forever would only be another 80 years, tops, and that’s if your propensity for getting in trouble doesn’t catch up with you.” He shook his head as he looked back down. “No matter what, I’m going to lose you.”

Rose pulled her hand away slowly and looked back down. “Oh.” Fresh tears stung her eyes. “Do…do you not want me with you anymore?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

The Doctor’s head shot up. “What? Yes! No!” He jumped up off the bed and started pacing, his hands clenched in his hair. “Grrr, why is this so hard?” He suddenly fell on his knees in front of Rose, taking her hands. “Rose, I do want you to travel with me for as long as the universe lets you. I can’t imagine you not traveling with me. I just can’t give you what you want — what you need.”

She looked up at him, tears falling freely. “What is it you think I need, Doctor?”

“A normal life, with a house and car and kids; a normal life with someone who isn’t damaged.”

Rose searched his eyes and shook her head. “Why would you think I need that? Why would you think I want that?”

He looked down at their hands. “Because it’s what you deserve, Rose.”

“Anyone can have that kind of life, Doctor, but I highly doubt they’d want it if presented with the choice.” She pulled one of her hands away from him to lift his chin up so he was looking at her. “I was given a choice and I chose you.”

He took hold of her hand again and raised both of them, placing kisses on them. Squeezing his eyes shut, trying to keep the tears in his eyes from falling, he pressed his forehead against hers. He sighed. “This doesn’t change anything,” he whispered. “We’re still where we were earlier.”

She nodded, pulling away and cupping his cheek. “I know. We’ll figure it out, yeah? We always do. We’re good at figuring things out.”

“Yeah,” he breathed as he nuzzled into her hand.

Rose sat back and blew out a breath. “Alright, what now?”

The Doctor cocked an eyebrow as he sat back on his heels, still holding one of her hands. “What do you mean?”

She shrugged. “Do we just go back to life as usual?”

“Yeah, I guess. Are there any other options?” he asked, standing up and pulling her up with him.

She shook her head. “No, I suppose not.” She tilted her head in thought. “Should we go make sure Kari and my mum haven’t killed each other?”

He laughed. “Why in the world would you think they have?”

“Mum was pretty upset and by Kari standing up for you and us leaving them alone, that left her as my mum’s target.”

Chuckling and shaking his head, he headed toward the door. “I’m sure they’re fine.” He smirked when he heard them laughing in the kitchen. “Unless they’re killing each other with laughter, I do believe I was right.”

She bumped him with her shoulder. “Think you’re so impressive.”

He puffed out his chest. “I am so impressive.”

She rolled her eyes as she opened the door to the kitchen, frowning when her mom and Kari looked up at both of them and started cracking up.

“What’s so funny?”

Kari wiped tears away as she glanced at the clock and her two friends’ entwined hands. She smacked Jackie’s arm. “You owe me a tenner.”

Jackie laughed as she rubbed her arm and laughed even harder at the look on her daughter’s face.

Rose frowned at the two of them. “What are you two on about? Why do you owe her ten quid?”

“We…we bet…” her mom gasped out. She took a couple deep breaths. “We bet on how long it would take for you two to make up.”

Kari leaned back in her chair, finally catching her breath. “I won!” she beamed.

Rose narrowed her eyes at the two women. “I’m glad we can be a source of amusement for you two.”

The Doctor looked on, amused. He squeezed Rose’s hand.

“Would you rather they bet on whether or not we made up?” he asked, grinning broadly when she shot him a glare.

“If you two hadn’t made up, I would’ve found a way of locking you in that bedroom until you did,” Kari said, sobering slightly. “I do not want to be caught in the middle of that again!”

His smile faded as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, sorry about that. I have been a bit of an arse today.”

Rose sighed. “I’m sorry, too. Both for leaving without saying goodbye and for dragging you into the middle.”

Kari smiled softly at her friends. “Thank you and it’s okay, I understand.” She jumped slightly at a sudden rush of relief, garnering a small, brief frown from the Doctor.

“Right, now that this is all sorted, shall we head out?” the Doctor asked, perking up.

“Oi! Now just wait a moment right there, mister,” Jackie said, standing up. “I think you owe someone else in this room an apology.” She crossed her arms over her chest, waiting.

He frowned, casting a glance around the room. “What? Who?” Realization dawned on him when he saw his companions both looking at him and then Jackie. “Oh! Oh, of course. Jackie, I’m sorry for upsetting you.”

Jackie laughed and shook her head. “Oh, you silly, daft man. Come ‘re!” She swept him into a hug, much to his surprise.

Kari tilted her head. “You know, one of these days, he might just get used to those,” she said with a smirk as Rose covered her mouth to hide the laughter bubbling out.


	8. Chapter 8

“Where to now?” Rose asked as they walked into the TARDIS.

“Well…” the Doctor drawled, rubbing the back of his neck as he moved past the girls to the console.

Kari and Rose exchanged a glance before giving the Doctor an amused, confused look, waiting for him to continue.

He started walking around the console, flipping switches. “Actually, I think I need to do repairs.”

Kari raised an eyebrow. “Manage to break something with your recent ‘repairs’?”

“What? No!” he exclaimed before getting a sheepish grin. “Well, maybe a bit.”

Rose laughed as she started walking toward the hallway. She cast a glance to

Kari over her shoulder. “Library?”

Kari nodded and followed her out. “Library.”

They both patted the Doctor on the shoulder, much to his chagrin, as they walked past. Once in the library, they settled into their favorite spots: Rose on one end of the couch and Kari in a huge, overstuffed chair. Kari leaned her head back and sighed before turning to look at Rose.

“You okay?”

Rose smiled. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just have a lot of stuff to work out.”

“I’m sorry if our conversation the other day caused any of this.”

“Naw, it’s fine. You and Jack were right; we needed to talk.” Rose sighed and gazed at the fireplace. “Not that anything has been resolved, mind you. It’s just all out there now.”

“I know it’s easier said than done, but be patient with him.”

Rose nodded. “Yeah, it’s just that —“she was cut off by a chorus of ‘What?’s coming from the control room. She frowned at the door.

“Do you hear that?”

“Yeah, I do.” Kari tilted her head to listen closer. “Do you hear another voice?” Rose nodded.

The two snuck down the hallway until they were at the door to the control room and watched as a woman in a wedding dress ranted at the Doctor while he tried to figure out what was going on.

“Do you have any idea who that is?” Rose whispered, not wanting to interfere.

Kari smiled and nodded. “Yup. That’s Donna Noble and she’s just been pulled into the TARDIS.”

Rose frowned. “How?”

“Later. You want to watch this; it’s hilarious!” She gave a wave to her friend before crossing her arms over her chest and leaning against the wall.

Their eyes widened as they recognized the look on Donna’s face. That was the look of someone about to slap the Doctor.

“…maybe a genetic —“ SMACK

They both doubled over in laughter as the Doctor and Donna continued to rant at each other. Their laughter drew the attention of the bride.

“Oi! You two! Who the hell are you?” she shouted as she stormed over to them. Suddenly, she stopped and whirled around. “Are these two more that you’ve kidnapped? How many more you got in here?”

This just made Kari and Rose laugh harder, now having fallen to the floor, clutching their sides. They could barely hear the Doctor trying to assure her that he had not, in fact, kidnapped them and would they be laughing like that if they were there against their will. Neither noticed that they had landed at some point.

Kari sat up and wiped the tears off her face, taking huge breaths to try to calm herself. She looked up to find the bride glaring down at her, hands on her hips. She smiled.

“Hello! I’m Kari.” She offered her hand.

Donna looked at her hand, and then back at her. “So are you an alien, too?”

“Nope! I’m as human as you are.” She stood up and offered a hand to Rose, who had finally composed herself. “So is she.” Kari nodded to Rose.

Rose grinned and offered her hand. “Rose Tyler, pleasure to meet you.”

The bride looked at the two girls warily before shaking Rose’s hand, and in turn finally shaking Kari’s. “Donna Noble.”

“If you two are quite done playing Welcoming Committee, Miss Noble has a wedding she needs to get to,” the Doctor snapped from his position at the console.

“Oh, yes, of course. Wouldn’t want to keep the bride from her wedding!” Rose exclaimed as she motioned for Donna to go to the door first.

“Absolutely not! It would be terrible!” Kari exclaimed as she walked next to Rose, both of them with huge grins on their faces.

The Doctor eyed them warily as he continued to run scans on Donna.

The girls stopped at the top of the ramp and leaned on the railing on either side, watching as the Doctor babbled off various explanations and Donna did the whole ‘run around the box and then look inside’ dance.

The Doctor looked up from what he was doing to notice Donna wasn’t there and realized what had happened to her. He looked at his companions.

“You two aren’t being very helpful,” he growled out as he ran down the ramp after the bride.

Shrugging, they followed after him.

“You seem to be handling it just fine!” Rose shouted after him, having no intention of catching up. She shivered as she looked around them. “It’s cold!”

Kari nodded as she hugged herself slightly. “It’s Christmas Eve.”

“Lovely,” Rose mumbled. She smirked as they emerged onto a busy street.  
“And the Doctor’s driving strikes again!”

They stopped and continued to watch the other two in amusement. Looking around, Rose suddenly stiffened as she nudged Kari with her elbow. She pointed at what she had seen. “Are those…?”

Kari followed her finger and nodded. “Mechanical Santas.”

Rose gulped. “Like last year?”

“Like last year.”

“Should we warn them?”

Kari shook her head and turned back toward the TARDIS. “Naw, he’ll figure it out. Let’s go back to the TARDIS; it’s warm in there.”

Rose hesitated a moment before following her friend. Once in the TARDIS, she leaned against the console across from her friend, who had taken a seat on the jump seat. She raised an eyebrow.

“Right, so, what’s going on?”

Kari shrugged. “Reader’s Digest version: Donna has been dosed with Huon particles - which are really freaking old and only found in the heart of the TARDIS now - by her fiancé, who’s in partnership with a giant spider. The particles will apparently bring her millions of children, which are currently in the center of the Earth, to life. They will then feed on the planet.”

Rose blinked. “A giant spider?”

“Yup. Empress of the Racnoss.”

“And her children are at the center of the planet?”

“Yup.”

Rose nodded. “Right. And the homicidal Santas?”

“Her minions.”

She frowned. “And you’re sure they’re okay?”

Kari nodded and smiled. “Just fine. Well, the Doctor might freak a bit when the Santas attack and he realizes he’s lost us, but he’ll get over it.”

As if on cue, the Doctor came bursting through the door, panic on his face.

“There you two are!” He rushed over and hugged both of them quickly, causing both girls to blink in surprise, before rushing to the console. “A mechanical Santa has Donna trapped in a cab.”

Kari stood and nodded. “I know. I’ll get the fire extinguishers.”

The Doctor and Rose exchanged a confused glance. ‘Fire extinguishers?’ Rose mouthed to the Doctor, who simply shrugged and went back to piloting them.

“Rose, I’m going to need your help,” he said as he flew around the console. “I need to try to get Donna to jump from the cab into here, but I can’t fly the TARDIS while I’m at the door.” He grabbed her by the shoulders and placed her by a lever. “If I tell you to, pull this lever down all the way.” Rose nodded. “Good. Alright, time to get Donna.” He ran to the doors and flung them open, revealing the traffic they were rushing passed.

Rose’s eyes widened in surprise. “Where the hell are we?” she squeaked out, looking at Kari, who was leaning against the railing.

“On the…oh, what is it you call them? Motorway? Yes! Motorway!” she explained, hands in her pockets.

“But, why?”

“Didn’t you hear the Doctor? A mechanical Santa has Donna trapped in a cab and he has to get her out.”

“While we literally fly down the motorway?” Rose all but shouted.

Kari nodded. “Yup. Oh, when he tells you to pull that lever down, jump out of the way as quickly as possible.”

Rose frowned and opened her mouth to ask why, but was cut off by the command to pull the lever. She did so and began to jump back as large amounts of flame and sparks shot out of the console. The force of the explosion blew her back into the wall, knocking her unconscious.

“Rose!”


	9. Chapter 9

Kari yelled out in pain — not her own — and surprise. She grabbed one of the extinguishers and put out fires before going to her friend’s side. Setting the canister down, she knelt next to Rose and looked her over. Her right hand was covered in burns and there were burns and scorch marks all over her torso and legs. Rose groaned and tried to stand up as she started to regain consciousness. Kari put a careful hand on her shoulder.

“Shh, don’t move, you hit your head pretty hard and you’re badly…burned?”

Rose carefully opened her eyes and frowned at the confused expression on  
Kari’s face. “What? What’s wrong?”

Kari watched in awe as the severe burns healed before her eyes.

“Rose,” she whispered, “your burns are healing themselves.”

Rose picked up her injured hand and looked at it, her eyes widening as she, too, saw the burns heal quickly. “Oh my,” she breathed, turning her hand around.

Kari looked up at the door when she heard Donna crash into the Doctor as she jumped in the ship. Getting to her feet, she looped Rose’s uninjured arm over her shoulder and carefully pulled her up.

“Come on.”

Rose nodded carefully and went with Kari.

“Now where are you two off to?” the Doctor asked, frustrated as he piloted them to safety.

“Infirmary,” Kari shot over her shoulder, trying to keep Rose’s burns from view.  
“We got a few small burns and scratches. Nothing serious.”

He frowned. “Why not just use the sonic?”

Kari waved a hand as they disappeared into the hallway. “No need. We’ll be fine.”

She got them to the infirmary and sat Rose down on a chair before closing the door. Sitting across from her friend, she watched as the last of the burns healed and Rose’s eyes gained more focus while the concussion she sustained healed.

Rose looked at her hands in awe. Just moments before, one of them had been covered in burns; now they were both smooth and pink.

“Has this ever happened before?” Kari asked, watching her friend with concern.

Rose shook her head slowly. “No, not that I’m aware of.”

Kari nodded. “Well, you seem to be fine now. How’s your head?”

The other woman put her hand up to feel the spot that had made contact with the wall, flinching slightly. “Tender and sore.”

Looking up, Kari saw the Doctor slowly opening the door. She placed a hand on Rose’s knee. “I’ll be right back.” She jumped up and intercepted him. “How’s Donna?” she asked, trying to be casual.

He raised an eyebrow at her. “You’re lousy at hiding things, you know that?”

Kari sighed and lowered her eyes. “Doctor, we’re fine — Rose is fine — you don’t need to worry about us right now.”

He frowned but relented. “Alright, fine, I’ll drop it — for now.” Sighing, he ran his hand through his hair. “Besides, I need to figure out what’s going on with Donna.” Realization dawned on him and he looked at Kari pointedly. “Unless you know what’s going on.”

She smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, I do, but it’s been so much more fun watching you deal with it.”

He narrowed his eyes, though there was no malice behind them. “Don’t suppose you want to offer any insight?”

Kari tilted her head. “Well, when you leave the reception, take the TARDIS instead of having Lance drive you.”

“That’s it?”

She nodded. “For now, yeah, it is.” She grinned broadly.

“Thanks.” He said dryly.

“No problem!” She put her hands on his shoulders and turned him around. “Now, you go continue to deal with Donna. She has a lot of questions and is on a rooftop. We’ll be here.” She gave him a small wave as she closed the door, grinning as he did his best fish impression. Sighing, her grin fell as she turned back to Rose, who was now lying on one of the beds. “You okay?”  
Rose looked at her from under her arm. “Yeah, just got a little dizzy from the concussion healing so quickly.” She moved her arm back over her eyes.

“Everything okay out there?”

“Hmm? Yeah, it’s fine. He knows something is up, though.”

Rose nodded, groaning slightly. “Oh, my head.”

Kari moved to the cabinets and found the human-safe pain killers and gave some to Rose before sitting down in a chair. She ran her hands down her face.

“Rose, have you noticed other…odd things happening to you since Game Station?”

Rose propped herself on her elbows and furrowed her brow. “Not really, no. Granted, my concept of ‘odd’ has changed a lot since traveling with the Doctor.”

Kari nodded and sighed, smiling up at her friend. “Well, you’re fine now, and that’s what’s important. We can try to figure this out later when there isn’t a giant spider to deal with.”

Laughing slightly, Rose sat up. “It’s weird to not be helping with this.” She slowly stood up, holding on to the bed for balance.

Kari stood and put out an arm to help steady Rose. “Yeah, but we’d just get in the way right now. We’ll be able to help once they’re done at the reception.”  
Slowly, the girls headed back out to the control room, being jostled slightly as the Doctor piloted the TARDIS to said reception. They came in just as the door closed, barely catching a glimpse of the Doctor and Donna’s retreating forms.

Rose gingerly sad on the jump seat. “And now we wait some more!”

Sometime later, the Doctor, Donna, and another man came running into the TARDIS, the new man stopping at the bottom of the ramp, looking around in awe.

“Oh, snap out of it, Lance! It’s bigger on the inside, alright?” Donna snapped, grabbing the man’s arm and pulling him up the ramp.

Both girls looked up from their activities and smiled.

“Welcome back!” Rose exclaimed, setting her book down. “Where to now?”

“H.C. Clements to see what Torchwood is up to,” the Doctor replied, doing his usual frantic dance around the console.

Rose frowned. “Torchwood? Doesn’t Jack work there? Maybe he knows something.”

He shook his head. “Probably not. This is London and he’s in Cardiff. Don’t think they know a whole lot about what the other locations are up to.”

“True.”

Donna cocked her head at the younger woman. “How the hell would you know? You’ve been in this box the whole time!”

Kari smiled softly. “That is a very long story.” She turned to look at the Doctor. “If you can, land us in the sub-basement.”

The Doctor nodded slightly as he made some adjustments to their destination. While the landing wasn’t one of the worse ones, it still wasn’t the best. Donna and Lance ended up in a heap on the floor while Kari and Rose’s heads crashed together, causing them both to groan and grab their heads.

“Everyone okay?” the Doctor asked, heading toward the door.

“Blimey, space man, where the hell did you learn to drive?” Donna scolded as she pulled herself and Lance up and followed him out.

The girls followed Lance out, giggling as he stumbled out and looked up at the police box. He looked at them in disbelief. “I…what…how?” he babbled out.

Rose patted him on the cheek as she walked passed him. “Come on, mate, no time to explain right now.”

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me!” Donna exclaimed.

“No, I am not kidding you, Donna! We need transport and these are transport,” the Doctor explained, waving at a bunch of Segways.

She gestured toward the TARDIS. “You have a bloody spaceship! Transport us there!”

Kari walked up and inspected one of the two-wheeled vehicles.

“You’ve already seen how well he can get you to where you want to go, Donna. Just be glad he got us in the right building.” She grinned at the Doctor’s glare as she climbed onto a Segway. “Shall we?”

Rose looked around and frowned. “There’re only four of them.”

“You can ride with me.” The Doctor took her hand and put her in front of him.

“No mixed signals there,” Rose mumbled under breath.

“What was that?” he asked as he maneuvered the vehicle down the corridor.

“Nothing,” she squeaked, shaking her head and shooting a glare at Kari who was giggling.

“Seriously, what is it with you two?” Donna asked, having finally relented and was now beside the Doctor, Kari, and Lance.

Rose and Kari both looked at her, confused. “What do you mean?” Kari asked, being the closest to her.

“You two have done nothing but giggle and disappear. Now, all of a sudden, you’re out here helping! What, you get bored in that box?”

Rose snorted. “Hardly! Well, maybe a bit.” She smiled. “We would’ve been in the way before.”

“But how do you know that when you haven’t been doing anything?”

Kari smirked. “I told you, Donna, it’s a long story.”

Lance leaned forward. “Who are you?”

Kari smiled tightly. “I’m Kari, that’s Rose. We travel with the Doctor.”

He nodded and leaned back, eyeing her warily.

“Is he the fiancé?” Rose whispered, shooting a quick glare at the man when Kari nodded.

The Doctor frowned. “What am I missing now?”

Kari looked up at him. “It’s not exactly something we can talk about right now.”

“Oh, now you lot are talking about us! Just wizard!” Donna exclaimed.

Kari turned back to her and smiled softly. “I’m sorry for all the secrecy, Donna, I am. Everything will make sense soon, I promise.” She paused as she tilted her head. “Well, mostly make sense.”

“You’re not helping, Kari,” the Doctor mumbled.

“Sorry.” She took a deep breath. “Donna, there’s no way for any of us to really explain what’s going on right now. I know all of this is complete madness, but I assure you that knowing what’s going on doesn’t make it any less mad.”

“Wait! You’re American, aren’t you?” Lance asked, still in a bit of a daze.

Rose rolled her eyes. “He’s a quick one, innit he?”

The Doctor nudged her. “Now who’s being rude?”

She turned and beamed up at him. “I learned from the best!” she laughed and ducked away at his glare.

They came to a stop in front of a door with the Torchwood emblem on it. The Doctor opened it to a ladder.

“Stay here, I’ll be right back.”

The other four watched him climb up, Kari smirking at the look on Rose’s face. She nudged the other woman with her shoulder.

“Enjoying the view?”

Rose’s head snapped to look at her friend, a fierce blush on her face. “What’re you talking about?”

“Oh, please, I only just met you and I can tell you were checking out spaceman’s arse,” Donna said, causing Kari to cover her mouth to hide the giggling. Donna looked back up the ladder. “No idea what you see in that skinny bit of nothing. Looks like you’d get a paper cut just hugging him.”

Rose was blushing and glaring at Kari, who was practically doubled over in laughter, when the Doctor came back down. He frowned at his two traveling companions before addressing the group.

“We’re under the Thames.”

Rose nodded and tried to hide her red face. “Imagine that, a secret government base under a major landmark.”

“Seems to be a theme, yes.”

Kari and Rose fell back a bit, allowing Donna and Lance to get ahead of them. Rose shoved her hands in her pockets and frowned.

“Is it really that obvious?” she asked her friend.

Kari turned and raised an eyebrow. “What? Oh! That. Yeah, it’s obvious to everyone but him.”

Rose rolled her eyes. “Of course it is.”

“Though, it’s possible he’ll start to notice now.”

Rose sighed. “Even better.”

The two stood back and watched as the Doctor showed a vial of liquid to Donna before turning a dial on it, causing it and Donna to glow gold. Kari glanced at Rose and could’ve sworn she saw a glint of gold in her eyes that wasn’t a reflection, but it was gone in a blink of the eye. She turned back to watch what was going on in front of her and grinned.

Rose leaned over to her while watching the Doctor going on about Donna being a pressure cooker. “She’s gonna slap him again, isn’t she?”

Kari just nodded.

SMACK

Both girls giggled briefly before getting a glare from Donna.

“You lot enjoying this?” She looked around at the three, who were now looking very sheepish. “These particles? Are they safe?”

“Yes, of course!” the Doctor exclaimed, trying to be reassuring.

“Doctor, if they’re safe, why did your lot get rid of them?”

He closed his eyes and blew a breath out. “Because they’re deadly.”

Before Donna could respond, a hissing voice came from overhead and the wall in front of them started moving up, revealing a giant hole in the floor and droids with guns. They all stepped up to the hole and looked down.

“Oh, how very Torchwood, drilled by laser. How far down does it go?”

“Center of the Earth,” Kari responded from one side of him.

“The Earth girl is clever!” the hissing voice said from around them.

“Yeah, she is, but why the hole?” he asked.

“Dinosaurs?” Donna offered.

“What?”

“Dinosaurs, like in that film ‘Under the Earth,’” Donna said with a shrug. “Trying to help.”

“That’s not helping.”

“Rude,” Rose mumbled, nudging him with her shoulder.

He cleared his throat. “Right. Yes. Thank you, Donna, but it’s not dinosaurs.”

“Such a lovely group!” the hissing voice said.

“Only a mad man talks to thin air, and trust me, you don’t want to make me mad.” The Doctor continued to look around the room for the source of the voice.

Kari tuned out after a while. She looked around them and tried to figure out if there was a way to end this better than he had originally. Granted, his original plan had been fueled by anger and sadness from losing Rose. She jumped a bit when the Empress of the Racnoss showed up and got a jolt of fear and surprise that wasn’t hers. She frowned slightly as she tried to figure out why that kept happening. She was pulled out of her thoughts by Rose’s voice.

“I don’t like Lance,” she whispered.

Kari nodded her head. “Yeah, he’s a bit of a dick.”

“What’s down here?” they heard the Doctor ask.

“I can answer that,” Kari said as she stepped up.

The Empress hissed. “Ah, the clever Earth girl who thinks she knows all the answers.”

Kari shook her head. “No, just most of them.” She smirked before turning her attention to the Doctor. “Her children are down there. Millions of them.”

He frowned. “What? How?”

“The Racnoss are the center of the Earth. They showed up just as our solar system was forming and the planet formed around their ship.”

Realization dawned on him. “Oh! And she needs the Huon particles to wake them!”

“Right you are, doctor-man,” the Empress hissed.

“But if you wake millions of Racnoss children, they’re going to be starving!” he exclaimed. “They’ll devour the planet!”

The Empress laughed. “Such a clever little man!”

He stepped forward, serious. “I can’t let you do that, Empress.”

“And who are you to think that you can stop me?”

“I’m the Doctor.”

“None of your medicines can help you here, doctor-man.”

“I’m not a doctor, I’m the Doctor. I’m a Time Lord. And I’m giving you a choice: I can find you and your children a planet. Take that offer and end this now or I will end it.”

The Empress paled slightly at the mention of the Time Lords, but refused to relent. “Sorry, Time Lord, but I cannot take your offer. The Earth is so full of life! It will be an amazing first meal for my children.”

He took a step back and turned toward Kari slightly. “How’d I deal with this before?”

“Poorly.” She frowned. “Do you have any of those exploding tree ornaments and perhaps the remote?”

He frowned as he looked directly at her. “Yes. Why?”

She nodded toward the pit. “Explode them in there & collapse the pit.”

“And that’s better than what I did before?”

“Yup.”

“Blimey.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the ornaments and remote, throwing the ornaments down the hole. He looked back up at the Empress.

“One last chance, Empress, take my offer or I collapse this pit.”

The Empress laughed and addressed Lance, ignoring the Doctor’s offer. “Bring me the bride and shoot the rest.”

“Oh, that’s just great,” Rose mumbled as she eyed the droids aiming guns at them.

The Doctor tossed the vial he’d been holding earlier to Rose. “Take this. Get out of here, all three of you. When you get out to the corridor, turn that and it should pull the TARDIS to you.”

“I’m not leaving you,” Rose asserted, handing the vial to Kari.

The Doctor shot a quick glance at the droids with guns. “Rose, please, go. I won’t be far behind.”

“Rose, come on, we need to go,” Kari pleaded, grabbing her arm.

Relenting, Rose ran out with Kari and Donna, noticing that some of the droids were following them.

Once in the corridor, Kari turned the knob on the vial, causing the TARDIS to materialize around them.

Kari blew out a breath as she sat down on the jump seat. “And now we wait.”

Rose shot her a look. “You wait all you want. I’m going back out there.”

Kari sighed. “Be careful.”

Rose nodded before running back out into the corridor.

Kari watched her leave before turning her gaze on the bride, who was absently wandering around the console. “Donna? Are you okay?”

“Hmm? Yeah, I’m fine.”

Kari stood up and went over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For all of it: the confusion, Lance, the giant effing spider.”

Donna gave a short laugh. “I should’ve known it was too good to be true. I’m just a temp.”

Kari took Donna by the shoulders and turned her to look her in the eye. “Donna, you are so much more than a temp. I know it’s hard to believe that, but you are.”

Donna gave Kari a half smile. “And just how do you know that?”

“It’s part of that very long story.”

Donna shook her head and looked at Kari bewildered. “Who are you? You say you’re human, but you’re even more confusing than the Martian.”

Kari laughed. “First off, he’s not a Martian. He’s not from Mars. Second, I truly am sorry that I can’t explain myself right now. One thing about traveling with the Doctor is that life becomes very, very complicated.”

They both jumped and turned toward the door at the sound of an explosion. Kari’s heart jumped to her throat. She watched the door, willing her friends to come back. After what felt like forever, the Doctor and Rose came bursting through the door and Kari blew out the breath she’d been holding.

The Doctor had them in the Vortex before anyone said anything. He leaned on the console briefly before standing up, a smile that didn’t reach his eyes on his face.

“Right, Donna, let’s get those particles out of you.”

She frowned. “How?”

He scrubbed his hands down his face as he leaned against the console. “That is an excellent question.”

Rose & Kari sat on the jump seat while the Doctor figured out what to do. Kari leaned over. “Everything turn out alright?”

Rose shrugged. “As alright as it does with us. He collapsed the pit and she took off.” She frowned and looked at Kari. “What happened before?”

Kari took a deep breath. “He flooded the pit instead, and would’ve flooded the whole sub level if Donna hadn’t stopped him.”

“Where was I?”

Kari just turned very sad eyes on her friend.

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

They turned their attention back to the other two, the Doctor now flying around the console as Donna asked him questions. He rushed over to her and moved her to a spot on the floor near the hatch to the heart of the TARDIS. Kari and Rose’s eyes went huge when they realized what he was going to do.

“You’re not going to open the hatch, are you?” Rose asked, her voice slightly shaky.

He nodded as he flipped some switches. “Yes, but only a little bit; only enough to pull the Huon particles out of Donna.”

They both nodded and ducked their heads to block out the bright light. Once again, out of the corner of her eye, Kari was fairly certain she saw a glint of gold in Rose’s eyes. Again, it disappeared almost as quickly as it appeared, causing Kari to wonder if she was seeing things.

Closing the hatch, the Doctor beamed. “There! All gone.”

Donna looked down at herself in disbelief. “Are you sure? Am I safe now?”

He nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Yep.”

The bride looked around. “Where’s that vial thing? I want to make sure.”

Kari pulled it out and turned the dial, but she wasn’t paying attention to Donna. She watched Rose’s eyes to see if the gold came back. It flashed quickly, going away as soon as she turned the dial again.

“There, see, all gone. Safe as houses now.” She heard the Doctor say as she mulled over the reasons why Rose’s eyes kept doing that.

Donna straightened her dress. “Good. Don’t want any more of that glowing business.”


	10. Chapter 10

Donna safely dropped off, the Doctor put them in the Vortex so he could attempt to get repairs done. Rose sat down on the floor next to the console to try to help while Kari sat on the jump seat and continued reading her book. It wasn’t long before they all settled into what passed for ‘normal’ on the TARDIS: one of the girls on the jump seat reading, the other helping the Doctor, and the Doctor under the console, causing sparks to fly and letting loose with a plethora of alien curse words.

After some time like this, the Doctor jumped up, a manic grin on his face. “Alright, now to test it out!”

He flipped a switch and the entire ship lurched, throwing Kari to the ground, landing on top of Rose. He had barely been able to keep himself upright by holding onto the console.

“Something tells me it’s not supposed to do that,” Rose groaned as she sat up. She frowned down at Kari, who was now lying next to her on the floor. “You okay?”

“I will be.”

Rose went to try to stand up when the ship lurched again, throwing her back to the floor, barely missing Kari.

“What’s wrong? Why are you doing this?” the Doctor asked his ship as he frantically ran around the console and somehow didn’t step on the two women on the floor.

Kari pulled herself up and back onto the jump seat. “What did you do?” She leaned over and helped Rose up.

“I didn’t do anything!”

Rose sat down next to and exchanged a glance with Kari. “You were just down there messing around with things.”

He shot a glare at Rose before directing his attention back to the monitor. “I wasn’t messing around with things! I was fixing them.” With another lurch, the Doctor found himself on the floor. “At least, I thought I was. Ow.” He quickly pulled himself back up while rubbing a spot on his head. “I don’t get it,” he mumbled.

The TARDIS started to shake violently, causing her passengers to grasp onto anything they could. Then, all of a sudden, she pitched to one side, throwing the three travelers to the floor and down the ramp, They landed in a heap by the door. With one last shiver and a slam, the TARDIS landed them quite unceremoniously.

Pulling themselves back up, they looked around and gasped. The TARDIS was dark. No light, anywhere. They started coughing as smoke filled the room. Running out, they slammed the door shut, only to have it locked behind them.

The Doctor tried his key and hit the door. “Dammit!” He sighed and turned around. “Well, looks like we’re stuck for a while.”

They had been landed on what looked like a very desolate planet. The ground was mostly rock and dirt with very little plant life anywhere. The sun seemed a bit too big and a bit too hot. Standing at the top of a cliff, they looked down on what seemed like a large camp. Tents of various sizes spread out for miles with people moving among them. At the far end of the camp were a few temporary buildings, one with the crescent moon indicating a hospital.

Slipping his hand into Rose’s, the Doctor sighed again. “Shall we?” he asked as he gestured to the village.

With a shrug, the three headed down the mountain to see just where they were.

~*~&~*~

Kari wiped sweat off her forehead. “It is really damn hot here.”

The Doctor ran his finger under his collar. “It is a bit warm.” He looked up and squinted at the sun. “The sun shouldn’t be that big.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, a sun that close to a planet this size… It should’ve burned up ages ago.” He looked around with a frown. “Never should’ve been able to support life in the first place. Unless it’s terraformed — artificial atmosphere. But if it’s terraformed, why’s it so empty? And besides, why terraform a planet in such a dangerous orbit when there are hundreds of thousands of other planets more than capable of sustaining life.”

Kari looked away as the Doctor rambled, then back in his direction as he paused, knelt down, and rubbed his fingers in the dirt, smelling it and then touching it to the tip of his tongue. She made a face. “And the purpose of licking the dirt is…?”

“No obvious mineral wealth. Quite a lot of iron, which explains the red, but you can get that anywhere.”

“What, you mean red like Mars?” Rose asked.

“Not quite that much iron.” He stood and put his hands back in his pockets, looking up again at the sun. “Maybe its orbit is deteriorating…”

Kari frowned. She didn’t like the sound of that. “I wonder where we are.”

“I can answer that for you,” a woman in green camouflage pants, a green shirt, and black military boots said as she walked up to them. She extended her hand to them. “Welcome to L49k2, I’m Elizabeth.”

“Nice to meet you, Elizabeth. I’m the Doctor, this is Rose and Kari.” He smiled and shook the woman’s hand.

Elizabeth shook Rose and Kari’s hands before turning a concerned frown on all of them. “How’d you get here?”

“My ship crashed just over there.” The Doctor pointed toward the mountain.  
“Looks like we’re stuck here while she repairs herself.”

Elizabeth raised a brow. “Repairs herself?”

The Doctor smiled. “Ah, yeah, well, you know. Just… needs to rest. So! You live here?”

“Yes,” she answered a bit hesitantly. “And you are more than welcome to stay here. We do ask that you pitch in and help wherever possible.”

Rose beamed. “Absolutely! Helping out is kind of our thing.”

Elizabeth smiled and nodded. “Very well. Please follow me and we’ll work on fitting you in somewhere.”

The Doctor looked around. “Um… What kind of planet is this? Where is it?”

“It’s a refugee planet. We’re near the edge of the Universe.”

He frowned. “Refugee? What kind of refugees?”

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow and glanced at the Doctor. “Where are you from, again?”

“Oh, here and there. I travel a lot.”

She nodded as she continued to eye him warily. “I wasn’t aware that there were many places left to travel to, what with the Universe ending.”

Kari stiffened at the mention of the end of the Universe. She looked around herself quickly. No, it can’t be… she thought to herself. Not seeing any huge fence around the camp ground or a large rocket in the middle, she relaxed, convinced they weren’t where she thought.

A look of realization came over the Doctor’s face. “Oh, of course! The end of the Universe. How could I forget?”

Elizabeth gave him a small frown before lifting the flap to a tent. “These people have run from their planets as they reach their end.”

They all breathed out sighs of relief as they entered the tent. It seemed to be air conditioned somehow. More people in camouflage approached them with bottles of water, which they accepted gratefully.

Elizabeth motioned for all of them to take seats. “Now, to find where you fit best.” She looked over a clipboard that had been placed on her desk. “I don’t suppose any of you know anything about computer networking?”

Kari jumped when her companions looked at her. “What?”

“You know networking, don’t you?” the Doctor asked with an inquisitive eyebrow.

“Yeah, early 21st century networking,” she said through clenched teeth, not sure if they should reveal that two of their party were definitely not from this time.

The woman behind the desk waved a dismissive hand. “That’s fine. Our system here is very rudimentary. Any knowledge is good.”

Kari shrugged. “Okay, then, I guess I can try my hand at that.”

Elizabeth smiled. “Wonderful! Kari, was it?” She continued at Kari’s nod. “This is Jacob; he’ll take you to where we’re setting up the computer lab for the school.”

Kari stood up and shook Jacob’s hand. “Nice to meet you, Jacob.” She turned to her companions. “I guess I’m off, then.” An evil grin spread across her face. “I’m wandering off.”

Rose snorted a laugh as the Doctor rolled his eyes. “No, you’re not; you’re being taken to a specified location by an assigned person. That is not wandering off.”

She started following Jacob out of the tent. “Nope, this is me, wandering off. Bye!” She gave a final wave before ducking out of the tent, blinking against the sun. “Man, that thing is bright!”

“It’s slowly expanding, ma’am. It will explode in the next thirty or so years according to our scientists.”

Kari smiled up at the young man. “Please, call me Kari.” She looked back toward the sun. “That explains a lot. No wonder it’s so hot here.”

“Fortunately, all of our tents are air conditioned.”

“Well, that’s good. Don’t need people baking in their sleep.”

His lips twitched as he fought a smile. “Indeed, ma’am.”

She sighed internally as she realized getting him to not call her ‘ma’am’ was a losing battle. Seeing a tent with what looked like a giant star on it, she nudged the man with her elbow.

“What’s in there?”

“That’s where our scientists are, ma’am. They are working on finding a way to get everyone off this planet, and hopefully out of this Universe.”

Kari tensed again at his words. She knew they didn’t want to see what was beyond this Universe. She also knew she couldn’t tell them without everyone but her companions thinking she was nuts. Deciding it best to just stick to the matter at hand, she shoved that knowledge to the back of her mind.

Before long, they had reached the tent housing the computers for their school. Kari stopped just inside the door and looked around, letting out an impressed whistle.

“This is amazing!” She looked up at Jacob. “How’re you powering all of this?”

He raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Solar panels, ma’am.”

Kari blushed as she looked away and nodded. “Yes, of course.” She gave another sweep of the room. “How many children are in this camp?”

“Approximately one thousand and growing with over 75% at school age.” He led her through the tent to the two men setting up the computers. “Ma’am, this is Kyle and Seth. Gentlemen, this is Kari. She’s been sent to help you set up the lab.”

Kyle — a young man in his early twenties, with sandy brown hair, green eyes, and freckles — popped up from behind a desk where he was trying to connect computers together. He wiped his hand off on his camo pants and offered it to her with a smile.

“Nice to meet you, Kari! Thanks for coming to help.”

She smiled back as she shook his hand. “Not a problem. Where would you like me to start?”

“Ma’am, I’m going to head back to the main tent. Kyle and Seth should be able to answer any questions you have. Someone will collect you before night fall to show you where you’ll be staying.” With a nod, the man turned on his heel and walked back out of the tent.

Seth — an older man in his forties or fifties with graying red hair and blue eyes — slumped into a chair. “So where are you from?”

Picking up a mass of tangled cords and absently untangling them, Kari took the chair across from the man.

“Oh, um… a long ways away. Our ship crash landed up on the hill and we’re stranded while it repairs itself.”

He raised an intrigued eyebrow. “Repairs itself? What kind of ship you got?”

She worried her lip and looked down at the wires while she tried to think of a way to describe the TARDIS. The last thing they needed were a bunch of desperate, trapped people finding out they had a time machine. She instead chose to go the ignorance route. She shrugged and looked back up.

“Not really sure; I’m just a passenger. I just go by what the pilot says.”

Kyle took a spot on the floor next to Seth and started untangling his own bunch of cords.

“How many on this self-repairing ship of yours?”

“Three, including myself.”

“Where are they?”

She shrugged again. “No idea. I was sent here before they found out where they were going to be.”

Kari finished the bundle she’d been working on, set it down, and picked up another.

“Are you the only ones working on this?”

Seth watched her in wonder for a moment. “You do that a lot, don’t you?”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

He nodded at the bunch of cables in her hands that she was making quick work of. “That, untangling cables. You’re not even looking at them.”

“Oh. Yeah, I suppose. There only being three of us, I help out with repairs occasionally.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “Yes, we are the only ones working on this. They’ve sent us a few people, but they just got in the way and broke entirely too many things.”

She smiled. “Well, I’ll do my best to not get in the way or break anything.”

Kyle looked up at her. “Out of curiosity, was there a specific reason they sent you to us?”

“Yeah, though I’m not sure how much help it will be.” She set the latest bundle down and grabbed another. “I know a bit of networking.”

Huge grins spread across the two men’s faces. “Wonderful! We need that!”

Kari sighed. “Except that it’s early 21st century networking; my guess is that it’s changed quite a deal since then.”

Their smiles turned into looks of confusion. Seth frowned.

“Early 21st century networking? History buff, are you?”

Kari smiled. “Something like that. Elizabeth assured me that it should be sufficient.”

The two men exchanged a glance and shrugged. “Worst case scenario, you can untangle cables for us. Not very exciting, but incredibly appreciated.”

Kari chuckled. “Whatever I can do to help.”


	11. Chapter 11

Lying on her back under a desk, Kari screwed in what felt like the hundredth bracket in this short row alone. A new voice in the tent caused her to lose her concentration and slip with the very much not-sonic screwdriver, jamming it into her thumb. Again.

“Ow! Dammit!”

“That’s her!” the voice exclaimed. Suddenly, she was looking up at the Doctor’s grinning face. “Hello!”

“Hi,” she said around her thumb. She reached her free hand out. “Sonic, please? I’ve lost enough blood.”

Chuckling, he changed settings on it and handed it to her. “Maybe I should consider making these for you and Rose.”

“That would be nice, yes.” She finished with the screws she’d been fighting with and handed it back to him. “Thank you. That was much easier.”

Kari pulled herself out from under the desk and stood up, brushing herself off.

“So what’ve you two been up to?”

“Rose is helping in the hospital and I’ve been with the scientists.” He shoved his hands in his pockets as they started out of the tent. “There was something I wanted to ask you about.”

“Oh?”

The Doctor nodded and leaned in a bit closer, lowering his voice so that only she could hear. “Have they told you what they’re doing here?”

Kari sighed and looked down at their feet as they made their way through the tents.

“Yeah, Utopia.” She shifted anxiously. “It doesn’t exist, though. Not the way they’re hoping it does, anyway.”

“In any case,” the Doctor muttered. “I think we probably need to get off of this planet just as soon as possible. Have they given you any indication that you’re not free to leave?”

“No.”

“Good. Let’s keep it that way. Friendly with the natives.” He smiled.

They came to a stop outside a tent. The Doctor opened the flap and gestured for her to go first. Once again, she was astounded by what they fit into these tents. They’d stepped into what was obviously a living area, with a couch, a couple chairs, and some tables and lamps. Off to one side was another flap that led to what she assumed was the sleeping area. In a corner was a sink and small refrigerator.

Kari slumped into a chair. “That heat takes a lot out of you quickly.”

He tossed her a bottle of water. “That it does. I’m glad these tents are kept cool.”

Kari worried her lip as she ran the bottle over her forehead. She had a niggling feeling in the back of her mind that something was very off; she just couldn’t put her finger on it.

“I don’t suppose…” She trailed off, not sure if she wanted to hear the answer.

He sat down across from her. “You don’t suppose what?”

She sighed. “I don’t suppose there’s a Professor Yana working with them?”

He raised an eyebrow. “No, not that I’m aware of. Why do you ask?”

“No reason.” She blew out a breath of relief as she leaned back in her chair.

“There you go, being lousy with hiding things again. Spill it.”

Kari closed her eyes. She really didn’t want to have this conversation. “No, never mind. It’s not a big deal.”

The Doctor leaned back in his chair and crossed his hands over his stomach, watching and waiting for her to continue.

Sensing him staring at her, she cracked an eye and heaved a heavy sigh.

“It’s just that… this all seems entirely too similar to when they found the Master in my time. He went by Professor Yana in his human form.”

“Oh.” He ran his hands down his face. “I haven’t heard the name ‘Yana.’”

Kari nodded. “And if you do? Have you considered what to do about it?”

The Doctor looked up at her with a mask of no emotion, his voice very even. “There’s nothing to consider. It’s impossible that any other Time Lords survived the war.”

“Yeah.” She paused before changing subjects. “So, Rose is helping at the hospital, huh?”

“Yep. Wouldn’t go until they promised there were no cat nuns.”

Kari chuckled. “Don’t blame her! Any idea what she’s doing there?”

“Playing with kids, mostly,” Rose said from behind her as she walked into the tent. “It is bloody hot!”

The Doctor jumped up, gesturing for her to take his seat while he got her water. He handed it to her and flopped down on the floor. “The sun’s expanding. Will explode in thirty years or so.”

Kari looked at him and frowned. “How is it still safe to be here? Shouldn’t it be close to toast by now?”

“Well, you saw the terrain on our way here. It’ll only be safe for another five years, tops. That’s why they’re figuring out a way off.”

Rose raised an eyebrow when she noticed the small bandages on Kari’s hands. “What’d you do to yourself?”

“Real screwdrivers suck. A lot.”

Rose choked on her water while trying to stifle a laugh. “All of that is from using a screwdriver?”

Kari shrugged. “What can I say? I’m a klutz.”

The Doctor snickered when his companions’ stomachs growled, loudly. “When was the last time either of you ate?”

They both shrugged.

“Right, well, I saw what looked like a mess tent a couple rows over. I say we head that way.” He frowned when both girls groaned. “What?”

“It’s so hot out there!” Rose moaned as she absently rubbed a spot on her chest. “I think it’s getting to me.”

He sighed dramatically. “Fine, I’ll go get food. But you only have yourselves to blame if you don’t like what I bring you.” Rolling his eyes at the dismissive waves he received, he turned and left the tent.

Kari frowned at Rose, who was still rubbing her chest. “You okay?”

Rose nodded. “Yeah, just think the heat is getting to me. Chest is a bit tight.”

“Did you get a chance to talk to the Doctor about your burns?”

“Naw, not that big of a deal. No reason to worry him.”

“Rose, your hand was covered in what I’m guessing were third degree burns and you received a serious concussion. They healed in a matter of minutes. That’s not normal.”

She shrugged. “It’s nothing, really. Like I said, I’ve been healing quickly for months now. Don’t see a reason to make a big deal of it.”

Kari eyed her warily. “Alright, if you say so.”

Rose sighed and nodded toward Kari’s hands. “Other than inflicting multiple injuries on yourself, what did you do today?”

“Untangled cables, moved computers, and put together desks, mostly.” She held her hands up and wiggled her fingers. “Hence all the cuts.”

Rose shook her head as she looked around the tent. “Is there a shower in here? I feel disgusting.”

Kari shrugged. “No idea. I haven’t left this spot since we came in.”

“I’m going to go investigate.” She shoved herself up, only to fall back again, a hand going to her chest. Her face scrunched up in pain.

Kari fell to her knees in front of Rose, ignoring the wave of pain and confusion coming from somewhere, — she really needed to figure out why that kept happening — and gently placed her hands on her arms.

“What’s wrong?”

Rose shook her head, her face still twisted in pain. “Nothing, just my chest. Got a shooting pain through it all of a sudden.”

“Rose, that’s not something to ignore.” Kari searched her friend’s face, panic written all over hers. “How long as this been going on?”

Taking a few deep breaths, Rose sat back in her chair. She closed her eyes as the pain in her face dissipated.

“Few hours. Started after I got to the hospital. Just figured it was from the walk in the heat.”

Kari sat back on her heels and ran her hands through her hair. The wave of pain and confusion was gone, which helped her calm a bit.

“Promise me you’ll tell the Doctor about this.”

Rose nodded as she made to stand up again, moving much slower this time. “I promise, if it continues or gets worse, I’ll tell him.” She stood up straight and stretched. “Now, to go see if this place has a shower.”

Kari watched with worry as Rose disappeared into the back part of the tent. Something was going on with her and it scared her. She’d been out in the heat, too, and it hadn’t affected her like that. Granted, the hospital was quite a ways away…

She stifled a yawn as the Doctor came back in with two bags with what looked like take out boxes in them. Standing, she moved to help him.

“Where’s Rose?”

“Off to see if we have a shower.” Kari stuck her head in one of the bags and took a deep breath. “Oh, that smells marvelous!” She covered another yawn.

He laughed and shook his head. “You humans and your need of sleep.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “It’s been a very long day that started rather rudely, as I recall.”

Clearing his throat, he turned away from her. “Right, now, where are those plates?”

Finding a fork and a box with what looked like teriyaki chicken, Kari wandered back to her chair and sat back down. “Who needs plates?”

Rolling his eyes, he joined her, opting to bypass a plate as well.

A while later, Rose emerged, freshly showered and in clean clothes. Smiling, she grabbed a box and fork and joined the other two in the sitting area.

“Feel better?” Kari asked around a mouthful of rice.

“Much!”

“Where’d the clothes come from?”

Rose shrugged. “There’s a whole dresser of them back there. Just found what fit best.”

Kari nodded. “Looks like we’ll be rocking some camo until the TARDIS is functional again.”

Rose worried her lip and looked at the Doctor. “How long do you think that’ll take?”

He shrugged as he shoved his food around with his fork. “At least 24 hours, probably closer to 72.” He sighed. “I did a number on her. I’ll go check on her in the morning before I head back to the lab.”

The women nodded solemnly, knowing it was hurting him that his ship was broken and there was nothing he could do about it.

They all slipped into silence as they finished their food. Once she was done, Kari stood and stretched.

“Alright, I’m gonna go shower and then sack out. Something tells me our day starts early tomorrow.”

Rose smiled up at her. “Night. Sleep well!”

Kari gave a wave over her shoulder before disappearing into the back of the tent, ready to wash off all of the grime and stress of the day.


	12. Chapter 12

Rose’s hand clenched onto the counter next to her as another sharp pain went through her chest. They’d gradually gotten more frequent and painful since the day before. She knew she should tell the Doctor — or at least a doctor — but she felt fine otherwise and didn’t want to make him worry over nothing. Taking a few deep breaths, she stood up and continued on her way. She smiled when one of the interns came up to her.

“Morning, Jonathon.”

He returned her smile. “Morning, Rose.” He frowned slightly. “Are you alright? You look awfully pale.”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just having a hard time adjusting to the heat, I think.”

The young man eyed her warily. “Okay, but if you need anything, please let me know.”

She nodded. “I will. Thank you.”

Jonathon fell into step next to her. “Where are you headed today?”

“Back to paediatrics. They apparently really love my story telling.”

“Doesn’t surprise me! You tell some fantastic stories.”

Rose laughed. She’d been telling watered down versions of her travels with the Doctor. Only two other people on this planet would believe the stories were real.

“I have a good imagination.”

She beamed when she walked into the children’s ward and was greeted by cheers and claps. A little girl of maybe three ran up to her, holding her arms up.

“Wose! Wose up!”

“Hello, Chrissie!” she exclaimed as she picked her up. “How are you this morning?”

Chrissie beamed when Rose said her name. “Stowy, Wose!”

Laughing, Rose sat down in a chair, adjusting Chrissie on her lap. “Alright, alright.” She leaned back and tapped her chin in thought. “Now, what did I tell you about yesterday?”

There was a chorus of ‘ghosts,’ ‘werewolves,’ and ‘killer trees’ from the children that had gathered around her. Smiling, she decided on her next story.

She leaned forward. “The Professor and Lily were on their way to see Elvis Presley when the Professor’s bad driving put them in London…”

~*~&~*~

Jonathon leaned against the door jam, arms crossed over his chest, as he watched Rose with a small smile on his face. It had been a long time since he had met someone with so much life. Most of the people there had broken spirits, himself included. There was something about knowing the Universe was ending that destroyed one’s hope. He marveled at the fact that this knowledge didn’t seem to affect Rose.

Pushing himself off the frame, he turned and left the room, heading to attend to his various patients. He felt a bit like a fraud working in the hospital. He wasn’t a doctor, or even working toward being one. He was there because he had more medical knowledge than most others. That’s how things worked there. If you had even the slightest bit of experience or knowledge in any given field, you were put to work in it. As he understood it, the two people Rose was traveling with had been sent off to work in the school’s computer lab and with the scientists that were working on a way off the planet.

He did his rounds mostly on autopilot, not being able to take his mind off the mysterious woman in pediatrics. There was something…different about Rose. It wasn’t just her obvious love of life. There was something more there; he wasn’t sure if even she realized it. Then again, he could just be reading too much into her. It may be the newness of her that made her seem different.

Jonathon startled when a hand was placed on his shoulder. Turning, he smiled when he saw it was Rose.

“Want to go grab some lunch?” she asked, her eyes shining as bright as her smile.

He frowned as he looked at a clock. How’d it get so late so quickly? His smile returned as he looked back at her. “I’d love to.”

“How do you come up with such amazing stories?” he asked as they set their trays down and sat down across from each other.

Rose shrugged. “They just come to me.”

Jonathon shook his head. “I wish I had an imagination like that.” He watched her in wonder for a moment before clearing his throat and looking down at his food. “So, how long are you here for?”

“At least a couple of days. Don’t know for sure yet.”

He frowned at the sadness in her voice. Reaching across the table, he squeezed her hand. “Is your ship that badly damaged?”

Rose sighed and nodded. “Think so, yeah. The Doctor went to go check on it this morning to see just how bad.”

“The Doctor? Oh, is that one of the people you’re traveling with?”

“Yeah. He’s the one helping to find a way off this planet for you lot.”

Jonathon leaned back in his chair. “Well, maybe we can all just leave with you.” He raised an eyebrow when she gave what looked like a knowing smile.

“Maybe.”

He laughed and shook his head. “You are quite the interesting woman, Rose.”

“Hardly! I’m just an ordinary girl. Nothing interesting about me.”

“Oh, I beg to differ! You travel in a self-repairing ship, tell amazing stories, and manage to keep a genuine smile on your face despite the impending doom of the end of the Universe.”

“The self-repairing ship isn’t mine, I have a good imagination, and why let the impending doom get you down if you can’t stop it?”

Jonathon marveled at her. “This is what I’m talking about. Might as well add modest to that list, too.”

Blushing, Rose ducked her head back down, focusing on her food. “Okay, you can stop now.”

His smile fell. “I’m sorry if I embarrassed you, Rose. It’s just so rare to meet someone like you, especially this far out. We all just get by now. To meet someone with so much life is amazing.”

She looked back up and smiled. “Thank you, Jonathon.”

He reached across and squeezed her hand again quickly. “You are very welcome, Rose.”

~*~&~*~

Kari stood back, arms crossed over her chest, as she watched the Doctor pace their tent irritably. She smiled in relief when she heard Rose come in only to have it fall as soon as she saw there was someone with her. Casting a quick glance at the Doctor, she stepped over to Rose.

Rose smiled. “Kari, this is Jonathon; Jonathon, Kari.”

Kari smiled tightly as she shook his hand. “Nice to meet you.” She pulled Rose aside. “He really shouldn’t be here right now.”

Rose frowned and then noticed the Doctor pacing. “What’s wrong?”

“He went to check on the TARDIS three times today and she still won’t let him in.”

“Oh great.”

“Who the hell are you?” the Doctor snapped as he made his way toward the group.

Jonathon’s eyes went wide in fear. “I…I’m Jonathon, sir. I work at the hospital.”

The Doctor’s eyes narrowed as he turned to look at Rose. “Another pretty boy, Rose? Really?”

Sensing something very bad coming, Kari moved past her companions to the frightened young man. She took him by the shoulders. “Thank you for walking our Rose home, Jonathon. It was lovely to meet you.” She spoke quickly as she turned the man and ushered him out of the tent.

He tried to fight her as he looked back at the tent. “Is everything okay? Did I do something wrong?”

“No, not at all, he’s just a little stressed right now.”

“Are you sure? He seemed really upset.”

Kari put on the most reassuring smile she could. “Yes, I’m sure. Our ship isn’t repairing as quickly as he’d hoped. Thank you again for walking Rose back. I’m sorry I had to rush you out.”

Jonathon nodded absently as he looked around Kari at the tent. “Yeah, no problem. Please tell Rose I’ll see her tomorrow.”

“Will do. Have a good evening.”

Kari ducked back into the tent and was relieved to see the Doctor had calmed down considerably and was sitting on the couch with Rose.

Rose looked up and smiled. “Everything okay with Jonathon?”

“Yeah, I think so.” She nodded toward the Doctor. “And here?”

“You could just ask me, you know. I am sitting right here.”

“And risk getting my head bit off again? I don’t think so.”

He slunk down the couch. “Sorry,” he mumbled.

“Thank you.” Kari took a deep breath and blew it out. “You doing better?”

The Doctor leaned forward on his knees and ran his hands down his face. “I just want to know what’s wrong with her so I can fix it. But I can’t do that if I can’t get in.”

“Is she still dark?”

He shrugged. “Far as I can tell.” He got up and started pacing again. “Thing is that I’m certain this wasn’t anything I did.”

Rose raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”

He gave her an indignant look. “Yes I’m sure! Well, mostly sure. About seventy five percent sure.”

Kari watched him pace like a trapped animal, tension rolling off of him in waves. “What else could’ve caused it?”

The Doctor slumped into a chair. “I don’t know. Another vehicle entering the Vortex right where we were. Coming too close to crossing my own timeline. Someone trying to pull the TARDIS out of the Vortex. I won’t know until I can get in there and read the diagnostic logs.”

Rose stood up. “Right, well, until that happens, we keep doing what we’re doing.” She jabbed a thumb toward the flap. “I’m going on a food run; any requests?”

Kari shook her head as she stood up. “Surprise me. I’m going to go hop in the shower.”

~*~&~*~

Rose cringed in pain as she made her way back with the food. Sighing, she realized she was going to have to tell the Doctor. She was sure it wasn’t anything serious, but really couldn’t take the chance. She found him on the floor fiddling with some gadget when she walked in.

“Whatcha got there?”

“What?” He glanced up at her briefly before going back to his work. “Oh, it’s just something I’ve been working on in my spare time. Keeps my mind off… things.”

Her eyes turned sad, knowing what those ‘things’ were: the TARDIS. It pained her, too, that they didn’t know what was wrong. Speaking of pain…

“Um, Doctor?”

“Hmm…”

Rose wrung her hands as she slowly made her way to one of the chairs near him and sat down. Her mouth was suddenly dry, afraid he was going to be mad for not telling him sooner.

“Well, it’s just I’ve had this pain in my chest since we got here. I’m sure it’s nothing. Probably just the heat…”

He nodded noncommittally. “Probably. You’re not used to such temperatures. I’m sure it’s affecting Kari, too. I wouldn’t worry about it.”

She blew out a sigh of relief. “Yeah, okay, just thought I should tell you. Better safe than sorry.”

Rose sat and watched him a moment longer, waiting to see if he was going to say anything more on the subject. When it was clear that the gadget in his hands had his sole attention, she got up and went back to the kitchen area, satisfied that she’d gotten that off her chest, such as it was.


	13. Chapter 13

Rose smiled as she walked into the break room when she saw Jonathon leaning against the counter, obviously in his own world.

“Morning!” she chirped as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

He looked up and smiled. “Morning. How’re you this morning?”

“Good. Sorry about last night.”

He shrugged and looked down at his feet. “It’s alright. Kari explained that your friend was just stressed about your ship.”

Rose nodded. “Yeah. It’s not repairing as quickly as we’d hoped.”

Jonathon looked up and gave her a tight smile. “Well, as long as everything else is fine.” Stepping over to her, he held his arm out. “Shall I escort you to your waiting fans?”

She looped her arm through his and beamed up at him, her tongue between her teeth. “That would be lovely, thank you.”

As they walked down the hall, arm in arm, Rose looked over when she saw Jonathon take something out of his pocket.

“What’s that, then?”

“Hmm? Oh, just a watch I’ve had since I was a kid. It’s never worked. Forgot I even had it until last night.”

She held her free hand out. “May I?”

Nodding, he handed it to her.

Rose turned it over in her hands and ran her thumb over the etchings on the front. There was something familiar about them. Her eyes went wide when it occurred to her that they looked just like the circular designs the Doctor scribbled on the post-it notes he left on the scanner and around the TARDIS. Looking around them, she found an empty room and pulled Jonathon into it.

“Where’d you get this?” Her eyes blazed with anger, causing the young man to take a step back.

“I…I don’t know. I’ve always had it. Why?”

She held it up so he could see the etchings. “This is the native language of the Doctor; other than him, it’s a dead language. How do you have this?”

Jonathon shook his head and backed up against the wall. “Rose, I honestly don’t know! I’ve always had it. I just figured it was given to me by a long passed relative.”

Rose looked down at the watch again while she tried to calm herself. “Do you know what it says?”

“No, I don’t. Do you?”

“No, it’s the one language the TARDIS doesn’t translate for me.” She looked back up at Jonathon. “You swear you didn’t steal this?”

“I swear, Rose. It was with me when I was found as a child. I’ve never even been able to open it. I don’t think it works.”

Rose ran her thumb over the beautiful circular language as she placed her index finger on the button, pushing down slightly, and with a soft _click_ , the watch opened.

~*~&~*~

Setting down the computer she’d hauled from a back tent, Kari stood and wiped sweat off her forehead.

“That’s the last one!”

Seth slapped her on the back. “You’ve done some damn fine work, Kari. I’m gonna be sorry to see you leave.”

She smiled. “Aww, thanks! Don’t know how long you’re stuck with me, though.”

Kyle popped up from behind a desk. “I figured you’d be leaving soon, what with your friend heading up to your ship so many times yesterday.”

Kari frowned. “How’d you know about that?”

“Gossip runs rampant here, my dear.” Seth grinned. “Speaking of which, the wife tells me she saw you talking to that Yana kid last night.”

She stiffened. “Who?” she squeaked, really hoping she’d misheard him.

He frowned. “Jonathon Yana, from the hospital. Understand your other friend has made quite the impression on him.”

Kari’s mind started to swirl as panic set in. Her heart tried to beat out of her chest as she tried to control her breath. She looked between the two men as she started edging toward the flap.

“I…I need to go.”

She bolted out of the tent, almost running into a woman walking by as the light blinded her. “Sorry,” she mumbled as she looked around, trying to get her bearings.

“What are you looking for, dear?”

Kari looked at the woman like she’d just appeared. “The hospital.”

“Over there, dear.”

“Thank you.” She nodded as she headed in the direction of the building at a dead run.

_No, no, no this can’t be happening_. She thought to herself as she dodged pedestrians and weaved through tents. Her chest burned and legs ached as sweat poured down her face.

Kari really hoped it wasn’t who she feared it was. If it was, she hoped she got to Rose before anything bad happened. The thought of getting the Doctor flashed through her mind briefly, only to be shoved out by the fact she was closer to the hospital than the lab.

Bursting through the door, she ran up to the reception desk. “I’m looking for Rose Tyler. She’s been working in pediatrics.”

The receptionist smiled up at her. “Oh, the girl that’s been telling the lovely stories! Down that hall, left at the end, second right.”

“Thanks.”

She took off down the hallway and made her way to the children’s ward. Her eyes searched the room for her friend as she slammed the door open.

One of the nurses came over to her. “Excuse me? Can I help you?”

“I’m looking for Rose.”

“I believe she’s in the break room.”

Kari bent over with her hands on her knees, breathing hard. “Where’s that?”

“Right, two lefts.”

She gave a wave of thanks as she rushed back out the door. She really hoped she wasn’t too late.

Sliding to a stop in the break room, Kari looked around and punched the wall in frustration. Rose wasn’t there, either.

She turned, walked into the hallway, and started pacing. Where was she? A flash of gold light in a nearby room caught her attention.

Kari slammed the door open just in time to see Rose rush backward. Jonathon had a watch and was staring into the gold light as it swirled around his head. She watched in horror as his eyes began to glow and features changed almost immediately, an evil smile forming on his face. She was too late.

“NO!”


	14. Chapter 14

Rose pressed herself against the wall as she watched the gold light engulf Jonathon. She didn’t register Kari’s voice until her hand was on her arm.

“Rose, come on! We have to go. Now!”

She blinked at her friend before looking back at the young man, who now had a very different look on his face. Just moments before, he’d been a sweet young man. Now there was the same timelessness she saw in the Doctor’s eyes, but also anger and sheer madness.

“Rose, please! We have to go and get the Doctor,” Kari pleaded, pulling on Rose’s arm.

Jonathon looked up with an evil grin on his face. “Oh, now, why would you want to go get him? He’d just ruin all my fun.”

Rose’s voice was small as she looked at the man in confusion. “Jonathon, I don’t understand. What happened?”

He walked up to her and ran his fingers down her cheek, causing her to flinch back slightly. “My dear, sweet Rose, like you don’t know.”

“She doesn’t know, now leave her alone,” Kari growled as she tried again to pull Rose out the door.

Jonathon stepped in front of Kari so they were face to face. “You’re going to be a problem, aren’t you?”

“Jonathon, please…” Rose whispered, putting her hand on his arm.

“I am not Jonathon!” he snapped, not taking his eyes off Kari, who was glaring at him. “You know who I am, don’t you Little Miss Nosy?”

Kari swallowed and nodded. “Yes, yes I do.”

He stood up straight and crossed his arms over his chest. “Why don’t you enlighten your friend?”

Rose looked at Kari with pleading eyes. She was so confused. What was going on? Who was he? Why’d Kari know and not her?

Kari sneered. “You’re the Master.”

The Master beamed. “Very good! For that, you get to live. For now.” He turned his attention back to Rose. “Now, how is it she knows who I am and you don’t?”

Rose shook her head. “I…I don’t know. Should I know you?”

He pouted slightly. “No, I suppose not. It just hurts to know that your precious Doctor doesn’t talk about me at all.”

Rose jumped as the Master grabbed her and Kari’s arms. He pulled both of them closer to him and turned them so they were facing the door. He leaned his head in so he was right next to their ears.

“Now, you two are going to walk out of here like there’s nothing wrong, and we’re going to head outside.” He stepped between them and looped Rose’s arm through his while looking at Kari. “And there will be no running off to find the Doctor because if you do, I kill her. Got it?”

Kari nodded with obvious fear in her eyes.

Rose looked up at the man with fear and confusion. “I don’t understand.  
Where are you taking us?”

The Master tilted his head in thought. “I was thinking you two would take me to the TARDIS. I want to see for myself that it really is broken down.” He pushed them out the door. “Now, walk.”

Kari looked at him out of the corner of her eye. “You know there’s a good chance the Doctor will be there.”

He smirked. “That was kind of my hope. It’ll be nice to…catch up.”

~*~&~*~

The Doctor arrived back at the lab after his second trip that day to check on the TARDIS. She still had him locked out. He ran his hand through his hair as he racked his mind as to what was wrong. So lost in his thoughts, he didn’t see the older man waiting for him.

“Um, excuse me, are you Kari’s friend? The Doctor?” the man asked, putting a tentative hand on his arm.

He stopped and frowned down at the hand before looking up at the man. “Yes, I am. Who are you?”

The man shifted. “Seth, sir. Kari’s been working with me and Kyle in the computer lab.”

The Doctor nodded. “Okay. Can I help you?”

“Well, sir, it’s just that we’re worried about Kari. About half an hour ago, she took off in a panic. We haven’t seen or heard from her since.”

“Any idea what caused her to panic?”

Seth shrugged. “We had just been talking about that Yana kid that works at the hospital…” He stopped when he saw the look of realization on the Doctor’s face. “Is something wrong, sir?”

The Doctor grabbed the man’s arms. “Where’d she go?”

Seth shook his head. “I don’t know, sir. I think the hospital.”

He let go of the man and ran both hands through his hair as he looked around.  
“Where’s the hospital from here?”

“Just over there, sir.”

The Doctor nodded his thanks as he took off running. Why hadn’t he listened to Kari? She had been so insistent that he at least try to track down the Master, but he just couldn’t bring himself to believe he was still out there. And then there were the similarities between what happened in her time and where they were. Because of his arrogance, she and Rose could be in serious danger.

The thought of Rose with the Master caused him to speed up, barely missing pedestrians as he wove himself through them. He knew what the Master was capable of. He didn’t want to consider what he’d do if he even suspected there being something between Rose and himself.

Why had he pushed her away? When was he going to learn that the Universe had it out for him? It was constantly pulling everyone and everything he held dear away from him well before their time. He couldn’t help but think that if he hadn’t pushed Rose away, she wouldn’t have taken a liking to the young man and would possibly be safe now.

He was barely able to stop himself at the reception desk. “Rose Tyler. Where is she?”

The receptionist looked up at him in surprise and fear. “She left about fifteen minutes ago with Jonathon Yana and a young woman that had come in here looking for her.”

“Dammit.” He slammed his hand on the desk before turning and running out the door, heading straight for the TARDIS.

~*~&~*~

Kari walked next to the Master stiffly, her eyes darting everywhere, trying to catch someone’s attention. She hoped she’d see the Doctor.

It hadn’t surprised her at all that he had snaked them through side streets, avoiding all the places where they may encounter the Doctor or someone who knew them. He may want to encounter the Doctor, but not in such a public place. The Master was no fool.

“Will you stop making it so obvious that you’re being taken against your will?” the Master hissed at her. “People will start to wonder.”

She looked up at him. “That’s kind of the point.”

He sighed and rolled his eyes. “And just what do you think they’ll do, hmm?”

“Gee, I don’t know, stop you? Detain you? Find the Doctor? Something useful, I’m sure.”

Kari fought a cringe as another wave of pain came from somewhere. It wasn’t her pain. She knew that. It occurred to her that it was Rose. Why was she feeling Rose’s pain? Why was Rose _in_ pain? This was awful!

“Oh, please, no one here could detain me. Well, except for the Doctor, but only if his precious TARDIS is functional. Which, if it is and we get there before him, he won’t have that, either.”

“Well, then, it’s a good thing she’s not functional.”

The Master sneered. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“Why would we lie to you?” Rose asked quietly, speaking for the first time since they’d left the hospital.

He turned a greasy smile on her. “What’s that, blondie?”

She looked up at him. “Why would we lie to you? We didn’t know who you were until I opened that watch. We’d have no reason to lie to you about the TARDIS before that.”

“Oh, you are clever! Much more clever than his usual Earth girls.” He turned another sneer on Kari. “Unlike this one.”

Kari rolled her eyes and looked away. She had to figure a way out of this, or to at least get word to the Doctor. If only they hadn’t ignored all the signs. Everything had been much too similar to what happened in her time. Now the Master had her and Rose and she had no idea where the Doctor was.

Her head snapped back as she was sure she saw a blur of blue run by in the opposite direction. She frowned up at the Master when he grabbed her arm and pulled her to him.

“Eyes forward, missy,” he hissed in her ear. “I will snap your pretty little neck if I have to tell you again.”

Kari pulled her arm away and stared forward. She may be defiant, but she wasn’t stupid. She knew he’d do it.

~*~&~*~

Rose walked in silence as pain continued to radiate through her chest and a dull throb started behind her eyes. She was still so confused as to what was going on. What had happened to Jonathon? Something changed when she’d opened that watch; something Kari clearly knew about. But what was it?

She was a bit less obvious in her searching for the Doctor. Regardless of what happened, this man was dangerous and she wasn’t taking any chances.  
Several times she’d wanted to tell Kari to shut up before she got them hurt or worse. It was bad enough they had no idea where he was taking them after he saw the TARDIS was, in fact, nonfunctional. Not to mention the Doctor had no idea what was going on.

Rose sighed internally as she continued to hide how much pain she was in. She wanted out of this heat and away from this mad man. She could feel the bruises on her arm where he’d grabbed her. When he’d threatened to break Kari’s neck, she’d shuddered, realizing he’d do it.

She stumbled as a large spike of pain surged through her chest. She’d only stayed on her feet because of her grip on the Master.

“What’s wrong with you, girl?” he seethed as he pulled her up.

Rose shook her head as she took in rasping breaths. “Nothing, just dehydrated. We’ve been out here a while.”

He rolled his eyes. “Oh, fine.” He turned to Kari. “You, go get us water. Do _not_ talk to anyone about anything except procuring water. Got it?”

“Yes.” Kari growled as she headed for the nearest tent.

The Master sighed. “If she’s not careful, she’s going to be the death of you two.” He looked at Rose. “It’s just so hard to find properly submissive prisoners these days.”

“It’s almost like…you’re enjoying…this,” she gasped out, barely able to think through the throbbing in her head.

“Of course I’m enjoying this! Why wouldn’t I? I’m no longer a filthy human and I’ve managed to kidnap both of the Doctor’s assistants. It’s like it’s my birthday!”

Rose glared up at him as she leaned on him for support. “You…are…sick.”  
He leaned down so he mouth was next to her ear. “I’ve been called much worse.”

She pulled away as much as she could. She hated the most the fact that she couldn’t walk without support right now and he was it. It made her blood boil thinking that she relied on him for anything. Or maybe that was the heat.

Rose smiled as best she could when Kari handed her the bottle of water. As much as she wanted to down the whole thing, she knew it might be a while before they got more. Carefully, she sipped it until she felt satisfied enough. It unfortunately didn’t take away the pain in her chest or throbbing in her head, which was quickly spreading.

She shot the Master a glare out of the corner of her eye when he jerked her to a start again. Clenching her teeth against the pain in her chest and the hatred toward this man, she prayed to whom or whatever would listen that the Doctor found them soon.

~*~&~*~

The Doctor came to a skidding halt at an intersection, trying to determine which way to go. He could’ve sworn he’d just caught a glimpse of Rose’s blonde hair, but lost it as soon as he saw it. He stood in the middle of the intersection, running his hands through his hair and turning in a circle.

Taking a deep breath, he headed off in the most direct route to the TARDIS. He knew the Master wouldn’t let them take it as it passed by every possible place where they’d run into someone who knew them. He hoped that he’d manage to cut them off before they got there.

How had this happened? How had the Master survived the war? When had he run? Of all the Time Lords to survive, of course it was the man who was once his best, closest friend and had become one of his biggest enemies. He fought back tears at the feeling of loss the thought brought up. He needed to focus.

The Doctor was about to speed up when he was stopped by Elizabeth. He came up short when she stepped in front of him.

“Doctor, is everything okay? I’ve been getting reports that you’ve been rushing all over looking for your friends.”

“No, it’s not and yes, I have. Now, if you’ll excuse me…” He made to start running again when the woman placed a hand on his arm. He glared at her.  
“Look, whatever it is, I don’t have time!”

Elizabeth stood her ground. “All due respect, Doctor, but this is my village and it’s my responsibility. If there’s any sort of problem, I believe I have a right to know.”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “Fine. You want to know what’s wrong? There’s a very good chance a very dangerous enemy of mine has Rose and Kari, against their will, and the longer I take to find them, the more time he has to hurt them.”

“Do you know where they may be heading?”

“Yes, my ship, because if I know him — and I do — he’s not going to take Rose and Kari’s word that the TARDIS isn’t functioning. He’s going to take them there so he can try to get in.”

“Why would he want to get into your ship?”

“I can think of a few reasons, none of them good.”

The woman nodded. “Very well. Take a couple of my soldiers with you.”

The Doctor looked in the direction of the TARDIS and back to the woman.  
“Elizabeth, I can take care of this myself. I don’t want anyone else put in the Master’s path.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Doctor, I insist. Again, this is my village and it’s my responsibility.”

“Fine. But hurry it up.”

Nodding, Elizabeth motioned for two waiting guards. “Go with the Doctor to locate this Master person. You are under his orders until you return back here.” She looked at the Doctor. “Doctor, you know Jacob and this is Alex.”

He nodded in turn to the men. “Jacob. Alex. Now, can we please go?” he asked the woman impatiently.

In response, Elizabeth stepped out of his way. “Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance.”

“Yeah, I’ll do that,” he snapped as he took off running again, not caring or looking to see if the guards were keeping up.

~*~&~*~

Kari’s heart fell when they crested the hill and saw the TARDIS but not the Doctor. She’d hoped he’d managed to find out what was going on and would beat them there. She glared at the Master when he elbowed her in the ribs.

“You, I know you have a key. Go unlock it.”

“It’s not gonna work,” she mumbled as she pulled her key out and approached the ship. She placed a hand on the door and whispered to the box. “Please don’t work. If you can hear me and understand me, please, please don’t let us in.”

She took a deep breath and held it as she tried her key, releasing the breath in relief when it didn’t turn. Smirking, she turned around. “Doesn’t work.”

The Master stepped forward, dragging Rose with him, and snatched the key from her hand. “Give me that!” He tried it and growled. “Dammit!” He spun on her. “What’d you do?”

Kari frowned at him. “What do you mean? I didn’t do anything!”

“I saw you talk to it! What’d you do?”

“She’s not letting anyone in, including the Doctor.”

He grabbed the front of her shirt and pulled her face to his. “If you did something that won’t let us in, you’ll be very sorry.”

She gulped. “I…I didn’t _do_ anything.”

Narrowing his eyes, the Master let go of her shirt, causing her to stumble back. He spun around to Rose. “You. You try it.”

Rose shrugged as she pulled her key out. “She’s not going to let me in, either.” She tried her key and turned toward the Master. “See? She won’t let anyone in.”

Kari and Rose cringed when he kicked their beloved police box.

“Damn you! What the hell is wrong with you?” he shouted at it. Grabbing Kari’s arm, he started to pull both women off.

Kari struggled against him. “Now where are you taking us?”

“Honestly, I don’t know yet. Just away from here while I think. I don’t want _him_ interrupting me until I have my plan worked out.”

She looked at him in disbelief. “So, what, we’re just going to wander the desolate wasteland in this heat while you _think_?”

The Master pulled her closer to him as he growled down at her. “If that’s what it takes, yes, we will. Now _shut up_!”

Gulping again, Kari shrunk back a bit at the look in his eyes. It was a mad look; one she’d never seen on anyone before. There was hate, anger, and fear there. She only briefly wondered what he was afraid of when she stumbled forward as he pulled her with him. Once again, as another wave of pain came from Rose, she wished the Doctor would find them.

~*~&~*~

As the group crested the hill and the TARDIS came into view, the Doctor growled. He could sense that the Master had _just_ been there. If Elizabeth hadn’t held him up…

He looked around, trying to figure out where his former friend had taken his companions. So lost in his thoughts, he barely noticed when one of the guards spoke up.

“Doctor, sir, are we close to your ship?”

“What? It’s right there.” He pointed absently at the box while he walked a little ways away from it.

“But, that’s just a wooden box, sir.”

The Doctor spun on them. “A: it’s Doctor, not sir. Two: it is not just a wooden box, it’s my TARDIS.” He took a deep breath and pinched his eyes closed. “Now, is there anywhere around here that someone could hide?”

One of the guards pointed in the direction he’d been heading. “There are caves over there, si — Doctor.”

“Then that’s where we’re going.” Clenching his fists at his side, he stalked off in the direction the guard had indicated. If either of the girls were hurt, he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself.

~*~&~*~

Rose breathed out a sigh of relief when they found the cave. She could barely see through the fog in her mind and breathing had become incredibly difficult. She was very grateful when the Master let her sit down. She suspected he knew she wouldn’t be able to run far, if at all. She gave Kari a weak smile as her friend sat down next to her. They spoke as they watched the mad man pace.

“Rose, what’s wrong?” Kari whispered, her eyes never leaving the Master.

She took a deep breath and frowned at her friend. “What do you mean?”

Kari looked at her. “Rose, I don’t know why, but I can feel the pain you’re in. You promised me you’d talk to the Doctor about it if it kept up.”

“I did. He agreed that it was probably just the heat.”

Kari’s eyes flicked back to the Master before focusing on her again. “It can’t just be the heat. If it were, I would’ve been affected, too.”

Rose shrugged as she took a shaky breath. “I don’t know. It’s constant now, and my head is all foggy.”

Her friend looked her up and down briefly. “Think this has anything to do with the quick healing?”

“Why are you so focused on that? I told you, it’s not a big deal. Besides, we have bigger problems right now.”

Sighing, Kari leaned against the wall. “Yes, I know, but if you’re in this much pain — and I know you are — we’re stuck until we’re found.”

Rose’s eyes flicked between the Master and the entrance of the cave. “You could get out…”

“Are you kidding? And leave you here with him? Like hell!”

The Master spun on them. “Would you two please be quiet? I’m trying to think and your blathering isn’t helping.”

Both women glared at him as they pinched their lips together. They watched him continue to pace and talk to himself.

“What do I have? A cave, a nonfunctioning TARDIS, the Doctor’s girlfriend, and their pet.” He sneered at the girls. “Oh, what to do with you two?” He stepped over and lifted Rose’s chin up. “You are a pretty one, aren’t you? I see he hasn’t lost his affinity for blondes.”

“Leave her alone,” Kari growled.

He rolled his eyes. “What are you, anyway? Their damn guard dog?”

“Kari isn’t our pet. She’s our friend.”

“Hmm, you say tomato, I say guard dog. A guard dog that’s all bark and no bite.”

Rose put a hand on Kari’s arm as she made to go after the Master. Her eyes never left the man. “Don’t. He’s not worth it.”

The Master smirked at Kari. “Listen to her. She’s clearly more observant than you.” He turned and shook his head. “I never did understand his love of Earth girls. They’re just so…common.” He gave a vague wave of his hand. “Clearly the best choice for a travel companion would be a fellow Time Lord. Barring that, there’re entire galaxies filled with species that are at least marginally more suitable. But, no, he has to have Earth girls.” Rolling his eyes, he turned back to the girls. “Perhaps it’s so they can stroke that ego of his.”

Rose elbowed Kari in the ribs when she mumbled ‘you’re one to talk’ and shot her a glare. She wasn’t helping the situation. Leaning her head back, she closed her eyes for a moment. Her chest felt like it was going to rip apart and her head wanted to split. Maybe Kari was right; maybe this wasn’t the heat. But if not that, than what? Taking a deep, agonizing breath, Rose continued to hope the Doctor would show up soon. She just wanted this — all of it — to end.

~*~&~*~

The Doctor and the guards came up on the cave, hiding behind some nearby rocks. Quietly, they moved as close as they could, barely able to see the Master pacing. It was everything the Doctor could do to not run in and rip his arm off when he touched Rose. He knew he had to actually plan this out before rushing in. This wasn’t like most of their situations. This was the Master and he had the woman he…

Sighing to himself, the Doctor concentrated on the matter at hand. Get in, get the girls, take out the Master. But how? There was never an easy answer to that.

“Is that him, Doctor?” one of the guards asked.

He nodded and put his finger up to shush them. For the first time, he noticed they had guns. He cringed at the sight of them and the fact that he was glad they had them. They were a last resort, as always, but they were there.

The Doctor carefully crept closer to the cave. If he could just hear what the Master was saying, what he was planning, he could plan better. His hearts clenched when he saw Kari try to go for the Master. He knew she knew better. At least, he hoped she knew better. He released a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding when Rose held her back.

He waved the guards to him, instructing them to stay low.

“Alright, we need to get the girls out of there. I want that to be your priority. Let me deal with the Master.” He turned to look at the men. “Do not shoot him unless it is the absolute last resort. Do you understand me?” He nodded when both men nodded their understanding. “Good. Now, follow me.”

Creeping up to the cave, the three men pressed themselves against the outer wall. The Doctor briefly caught Kari’s eye, who looked away quickly.

“…can’t stay here the whole time. Won’t be long before he finds us.” he heard the Master rant as he resumed his pacing. “In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if he were already just outside the cave.”

“Aww, you ruined my surprise!” the Doctor exclaimed as he stepped into the cave, the two soldiers flanking him.

The Master spun around, clapping his hands together as a huge grin spread across his face. “Doctor! How lovely of you to join us!”

He narrowed his eyes at his oldest friend and enemy. “I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.” Keeping his eyes on the Master, he nodded to the girls. “Get out. Go with them. They’ll get you back to the village.”

“I’m not leaving you,” Rose gasped out as she tried to stand up, falling back weakly.

“Yes, you are. You both are. Now go.”

Rose went to protest again when Kari grabbed her arm and helped her up.

“Come on, Rose, we need to go.”

“No, I’m not leaving.”

The Master’s grin turned into a sneer. “Oh, how sweet! You’re little girlfriend doesn’t want to leave you. At least the guard dog is obedient.”

“I’m not a damn guard dog!” Kari snapped as she helped a reluctant, but weak, Rose out of the cave.

“Kari, not now! Just get her out of here. You two go with them.”

“Yes, leave your precious Doctor alone with me. I’ll take very good care of him.”

Reluctantly, the guards moved to help Kari with Rose and got the girls out of the cave, leaving the two Time Lords alone. The Doctor took a few slow steps toward the other man, their eyes locked.

“I don’t suppose you’re going make this easy.”

The Master rolled his eyes. “Where’s the fun in that?” He looked the Doctor up and down. “My, but aren’t we pretty this time round. No wonder Rose likes you.”

“Leave her out of this,” the Doctor growled, taking a few more steps forward. “This is between you and me.”

The Master closed the gap, their noses almost touching. “Isn’t that how it’s always been?” His eyes narrowed, his voice low. “Where are they, Doctor?”

“Who?”

The Master sneered. “You know who!” He rapped soundly on the Doctor’s head. “Them! The Time Lords. Why can’t I feel anyone but you and the girl?”

The Doctor’s eyes turned sad. “They’re gone, Master.”

“All of them? What happened?”

He sighed and clenched his jaw. “I did. I happened. I was the only one who could end it and I did.” He tilted his head slightly. “How did you survive?”

The Master sighed and turned away, running his hands through his hair.

“They resurrected me to fight. I was there when the Daleks took over the Cruciform. When I saw that there was no winning, I ran, turned myself _human_.” He gave a shudder before spinning on his heel and storming back up to the Doctor, his eyes blazing with hate and anger and loss. “Why did you survive?”

The Doctor shook his head. “I don’t know.”

Standing as close as they were, the Doctor didn’t see the Master’s fist come back until it was too late. He stumbled back as he took the blow to his stomach and fell when the kick came to his shin. The biggest shock, however, came from the gun shot that rang out in the cave.

~*~&~*~

The guards took Rose’s arms over their shoulders and carried her weak form as Kari ran alongside them. She kept glancing over her shoulder to see what was going on, but needed to focus on where she was going. She hated leaving the Doctor behind, but knew there was nothing either of them could do, especially with Rose this weak.

She stumbled as her entire body flooded with the pain coming from Rose. “No no no. Rose, not now. We need to get to the village at least.”

Reaching an outcropping of rocks that hid them from view, they all collapsed. Rose’s breaths were coming quick and ragged and Kari’s vision was blurred. She blinked and tried to focus her eyes on one of the guards.

“We can’t go any further. Please, one of you go back to the cave,” she pleaded with the guards as she sought Rose’s hand.

It was cold, clammy, and shaking. Kari looked at her friend and started to panic. She’d noticed at the hospital that the gold flecks had returned to Rose’s eyes and hadn’t gone away. In fact, there seemed to be more than before. That just about confirmed her fears.

Leaning back against the rock, Kari took several deep breaths as she dealt with the pain and confusion coming from Rose.

“What’s happening?” Rose whimpered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kari squeezed her hand. “It’s gonna be okay, sweetie. I promise.”

Suddenly, Rose’s hand got very hot. Kari stood and pulled her up.

“Rose, I know you know what’s about to happen. You need to stand up.”

Getting Rose as steady as she could, she then grabbed the remaining guard and pulled him back.

“What’re you doing, ma’am? What’s going on?”

“We need to get as far back as possible.”

“I don’t understand, ma’am.”

“And for that, I am sorry.”

The last thing Kari remembered before the burning pain took her over was her friend throwing her head back and gold light flying out of her. Neither noticed the gun shot that rang out from the cave or the similar gold light that followed it.


	15. Chapter 15

Rose slumped against the rock, no longer able to run. The burning in her chest radiated down her arms and all through her back. Her head felt like it was going to split open any moment. She just wanted to close her eyes and sleep. Maybe if she slept, the pain would go away.

She had no idea what was going on, just that she wanted — no, needed — to get back to the cave. She never should have left the Doctor to deal with the Master alone. Not like she could’ve done anything, not in the state she was in.  
Rose was only partially aware when Kari took her hand. Even through her pain, she could feel the worry and panic radiating off of her friend. She wished she could provide her with some sort of comfort, but had no idea how when she couldn’t even hold her head up.

Quite suddenly, the burning pain in her chest became actual burning, all through her body. As if puzzle pieces were falling into place, Rose realized what was happening to her. Struggling to her feet, she hoped Kari knew, too. She was only slightly aware of Kari grabbing the guard and pulling him away with a very confused look on his face.

Her breathing ragged, she hung her head as she gained her balance. With no warning, her head was thrown back and gold light shot out of her. Rose screamed as every cell in her body was rewritten. Her entire body burned as she felt her mind expand and a second heart form. She felt herself grow just a little bit taller and her muscles become more defined.

Just when she was beginning to think it was never going to end, it suddenly stopped. What little energy she’d had was spent and she fell to the ground, exhausted. No longer able to fight it, she let sleep take her, though she was aware it wasn’t a normal sleep.

Rose peacefully floated through her own mind, marveling at the changes. “Is this what the Doctor deals with all the time?” she said to herself as she flipped through memories at a record pace. “This is amazing!”

Her hearts clenched as she remembered the pain she had just gone through and realized he’d gone through it, too. How many times had he done this? Nine? Tears escaped her eyes at the thought of the Doctor going through so much pain at all, let alone nine times.

She frowned. She was crying, but she wasn’t awake. Was she crying out there, too? What was out there? This was such an odd sensation. After feeling so much pain, it had been a huge relief when it was gone. However, now she was left to her own mind; a mind that was considerably bigger now.

Rose giggled to herself. Even Time Lord minds were bigger on the inside. This made her pause. Was she a Time Lord now? She didn’t feel like a Time Lord. Then again, she didn’t exactly know what that should feel like. She decided to do a bit of an inventory: bigger-on-the-inside mind, two hearts (oh, that was weird!), respiratory bypass system, existing senses enhanced, new senses added, more defined muscles, stronger bones. Whatever she was, it wasn’t human anymore, at least not entirely.

She focused a bit on the new senses she’d acquired, namely Time and Space. She realized she could literally feel the planet moving beneath her. She could _see_ time, though it was a jumbled mess she really hoped the Doctor could help her sort out.

Her eyes widened as she realized something else. She could sense the Doctor and the Master! They were just on the edges of her mind, but they were there. Her eyes widened more as she noticed one of them had regenerated, too.

She started to panic as she tried to focus on which one it was. Her hands tore at the barriers in her mind, trying to get to them. Pounding her hands against the wall, she leaned her forehead on it and growled in frustration. It was her mind, dammit! Why couldn’t she get to where she wanted to go?

Rose turned and slid to sit on the floor. She ran her hands through her hair and blew out a long breath. She wasn’t doing herself any good banging on imaginary walls. She needed to heal and recuperate as quickly as possible so she could get back to the Doctor. Lying down on the floor, Rose closed her eyes and tried to rest, willing the healing to hurry so she could get back to him.

~*~&~*~

Alex barely got his arm up in time to block the blinding light that shot from the blonde woman. He turned to ask the other woman what was happening when he saw her lose consciousness. His mind raced as he tried not to panic. Panicking wouldn’t help any of them.

Risking a glance at the blonde, — Rose, wasn’t it? — he saw the gold light disappear and the girl start to fall. He rushed forward and barely caught her before she hit the rock she’d been leaning against only moments earlier. Lowering her to the ground, he did his best to situate her as comfortable as possible. He slipped his fingers onto her neck to check her pulse and jumped back. Either her heart was racing _really_ fast, or she had two hearts. But that was impossible…

He stood and ran his hands through his hair as he looked between the two prone forms. Looking toward the cave, he wondered if Jacob was having a better time of things, though he somehow doubted it. He was fairly certain he’d heard a gunshot right before Rose did whatever it was she’d done.

His head shot to the other woman as he heard her groan. He fell to his knees next to her and put his hands on her shoulders. He smiled softly when she opened her eyes.

“Are you okay?”

The girl blinked up at him and frowned. “Wha…what happened?”

Alex shook his head. “I was hoping you could tell me, ma’am.”

He put a hand on her upper back to help her sit up. Watching her carefully, he offered her his canteen of water, which she accepted gratefully.

“Thank you,” she rasped out. She turned to look at him. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I ever got your name.”

“Alex, ma’am.”

“Hello, Alex. I’m Kari.” Her eyes went wide as her head shot toward her friend. At once, she was scrambling to check on her. “Rose? Rose!” She frantically checked her vitals and sighed out in relief before leaning back on her heels.

“Um, ma’am, is she okay?”

Kari nodded, not taking her eyes off of Rose. “She will be, yeah.” She turned and smiled at the young man. “Thank you for not taking off on us.”

He looked at her in horror. “Oh, no, ma’am, I could never do that!”

“You’re a good man, Alex.”

Once again, he was glad he had quick reflexes as he saw Kari pale and her eyes roll into the back her head. Alex caught her as she began to slump over, losing consciousness again. He really wished one of them would regain consciousness long enough to tell him what the hell was going on with them. He also hoped at least one of them knew what was going on.

Resting Kari’s head in his lap, he leaned back on his heels and looked around them. They couldn’t stay out in the open for much longer. They’d fry in the sun and freeze in the dark. The best option was the cave and he had no idea what was going on in there. Other than what he was sure was a gunshot, there hadn’t been any obvious activity.

He looked up at the sky and tried to determine how many more hours of light they had. Figuring they had about two hours left, he decided to get the women to the shade of a small grouping of trees nearby. Carefully shifting the girl in his lap, he stood and scooped her up in his arms. Glancing down at the other woman quickly, he carried the prone form in his arms to the shade and laid her down. He quickly went and collected Rose, lying her down next to her friend.

Alex sat down against one of the trees and kept watch, looking up toward the cave occasionally, hoping he could get some idea of what was going on in there. He didn’t dare leave these two alone. They really didn’t know what all was in the wild out here and he didn’t want to chance something bad happening to them. Well, something else bad. From what he’d gathered, they’d already had a hell of a day.

~*~&~*~

Kari’s head was pounding, and this time she knew it was her own pain. Slowly, without opening her eyes, she tried to take stock of herself. All of the pain she’d been feeling from Rose was gone. There was now this weird emptiness where some sort of connection had been. She could sense worry and confusion coming from somewhere. Other than her head, she didn’t seem to be in any pain. It occurred to her that the air seemed cooler than it had been earlier. Was she in some sort of shade? One thing she knew for sure was that, based on the hard ground underneath her, she was definitely not in a bed.

Groaning and shifting uncomfortably, she pried her eyes open. Once again, she was greeted by the smiling face of the guard that had stayed with them. Feeling the worry get stronger, she determined it was his. She frowned slightly as she tried to recall his name. Alex? Yes, she was fairly certain that was it. Realizing his smile had turned to a look of concern, she returned his smile.

“Hello again.”

Alex’s smile returned. “Hello again. You gonna stay with us for a bit?”

Kari nodded slowly as she propped herself up on an elbow. “Yeah, I think so, but I make no promises.” She carefully sat up, putting a hand to her head as it continued to throb.

“Ma’am, if you feel up to it, could you please tell me what’s going on?”

She ran her hands down her face and took a few sips of water. Letting out a breath, she looked down at Rose who was sleeping peacefully next to her. A small annoyed voice in her brain asked just where the hell they were going to get tea for her. She politely told it to shut up.

“Well, Alex, if my suspicions are correct, Rose there is now the same species as two of the men in that cave, neither of them being Jacob.”

His eyes widened as he looked between Rose, Kari, and the cave. “What do you mean?”

“I mean she is no longer human, at least not fully.” She looked up at the young man, noticing the confusion feeling had gotten stronger. “What we just witnessed is called regeneration, or at least a form of it since she maintained her original physical features.”

Alex blinked at her, confusion written all over his face. “I’m sorry, but you’ve lost me, ma’am.”

Kari gave him a sympathetic smile. “Yeah, I’m not sure anything I say will help that.”

He nodded as he thought and looked between the women again. He looked back up at Kari.

“Okay, so, what happened to you?”

She laughed and groaned in pain as she disturbed the death metal drummer in her head. “I have less for you on that than I do on what happened to Rose. I don’t even know what happened to me.”

“Oh.” He looked at the cave. “I wish I knew what was going on in there, too.”

Kari looked toward the cave and frowned. “Are they still in there?”

Alex nodded. “Yes, ma’am, and I think I heard a gunshot right before Rose burst into light.”

Her eyes went huge as she jumped to her feet, only to fall again from dizziness. “Oh, that is not pleasant.” She took a few deep breaths before slowly standing up, looking down at her friend, and back toward the cave.

“Alright, if you could, please stay here with Rose. She’s safe for now, but shouldn’t be left alone. I’m going in there.” She turned pleading eyes on Alex. “Please don’t let anyone near her that isn’t the Doctor or I. Not even Jacob.”

Alex quickly stood. “Ma’am, I can’t let you go in there. We have no idea what’s happened.”

She smiled as her eyes turned sad. “I know, and that’s why I need you to stay here with her. You have a weapon and I assume know how to use it. You can protect her. I can’t. But I can go see what’s going on in the cave.”

He nodded as he relented. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Thank you, Alex.”

Taking a few deep breaths, Kari turned and started walking toward the cave, steeling herself against whatever she may come against, hoping her worst fears weren’t truth.


	16. Chapter 16

As soon as he heard the gunshot, the Doctor scrambled to his feet and started for the Master, sure this was the end. Again. He knelt beside him and lifted his head into his lap. Scanning his eyes over the Master, he frowned, not sure he’d seen what he thought he saw. Lifting the delirious man’s hand, the Doctor’s eyes went wide with amazement at the sight of gold regeneration energy rippling across the Master’s skin.

Jumping up, he ran to the terrified guard near the cave entrance, knocking him down and covering his face. Covering his own face with his arm as gold light shot from the other Time Lord, he couldn’t help but lower it and watch in awe. It had been a long time — too long — since he’d actually seen someone regenerate. He knew how it felt and didn’t wish it on anyone. But, at the same time, it was something that was wholly Time Lord and he found he clung to anything that kept him connected to his people.

Tears pricked the corners of his eyes as a small spark of hope lit up in his hearts. If the Master, of all people, had survived the war, maybe others had, too. What if, hidden out among the stars, were more survivors? The Master had mentioned he felt a girl. He didn’t know why he couldn’t feel her, but he couldn’t ignore the possibility. Though, if he were honest with himself, there had been this weird niggling in his head the last day or so…

Sensing the process was almost over, he ran forward and caught the Master as he slumped down, unconscious. He looked down and studied the new man that he knew all too well. He was a little shorter than before, and slightly older-looking, closer to the Doctor’s perceived age. Where slightly long red hair had been was now shorter, dark blonde hair. At least he didn’t have that dreadful goatee anymore.

The Doctor’s head shot up in surprise when the guard stood up, having forgotten there was anyone else there. He watched as the man looked between the two of them, confusion and horror on his face. He pointed a shaky finger at the Master.

“What…how…who?”

Adjusting the weight of the man lying in his lap, the Doctor rocked back on his heels and ran his hands through his hair. He really didn’t want to have to explain regeneration right now. He had bigger fish to fry, like finding out if Rose and Kari were okay and figuring out what to do with the Master once he came to. Letting out a deep sigh, he looked at the young man.

“Jacob, isn’t it?” He continued at the man’s nod. “Jacob, what you just saw was called regeneration. It’s a way our people can cheat death. If we are fatally wounded, we regenerate. We literally become a whole new person, only with all the same memories and knowledge.” He looked down at the Master and closed his eyes briefly before looking back up at Jacob. “Unfortunately, that means the Master will still be the crazed lunatic he was before you shot him.” The Doctor frowned. “Why did you shoot him, anyway? What are you doing in here? I sent you with the girls.”

Jacob looked at him in bewilderment. “I…well, Kari sent me back, sir, and I saw him attacking you. I just thought…”

The Doctor waved a hand to cut him off. “Yeah, yeah, okay. Why did she send you back? More importantly, why did you listen to her? I told you your priority was taking care of them.”

“Rose collapsed, sir, and Kari seemed fairly weak, too. They couldn’t continue on so she sent one of us back here.”

“What do you mean Rose collapsed?”

Jacob swallowed and slightly diverted his eyes. “She was already weak, sir, and couldn’t go on. She was still conscious when I left them, but only just.”

The Doctor’s eyes flashed with anger. “And you just left them?!”

The guard cowered slightly. “Alex is with them, sir.”

Relaxing ever so slightly, the Doctor ran his hands down his face and nodded. “Yes, of course, forgot there were two of you.” He looked back down at the unconscious Time Lord. “What to do with you?”

Jacob slowly approached the Doctor like one would approach a dangerous animal. “Is he going to be okay?”

The Doctor gave a short laugh. ‘Okay’ was such a relative term. “Yeah, he’ll be fine. Though we might want to secure him while he’s unconscious. Don’t want him taking off on us again.”

The young man nodded as he took out a set of handcuffs and kneeled next to the Master. He looked down at him before looking up at the Doctor with a frown. “Is he really that dangerous?”

“Oh yes!”

“Oh.” He looked down again. “What’re you going to do?”

The Doctor puffed out his cheeks. “Well, first we secure him; keep him from running. Then I’ll figure it out from there.”

Sitting the Master up, they cuffed his hands behind his back and tied his ankles together before leaning him against a wall. Both of their heads shot up to look at the entrance of the cave when they heard rustling and a surprised gasp.

“Doctor! Oh, thank god you’re okay!” Kari exclaimed as she ran across the cave. She crashed into him and wrapped her arms around him.

He stiffened slightly in surprise before returning her hug, tightening just slightly when he noticed her death grip on him. He frowned down at her in concern when she finally released him.

“What’s wrong? Where’s Rose?”

Kari worried her lip as she looked over her shoulder toward the entrance. She looked back to him. “She’s fine. Alex is with her.”

He raised an eyebrow at her and she sighed as her shoulders slumped.

“Yeah, I know, lousy at hiding things.” She looked down at her hands as she fidgeted with her shirt. “I…she…Doctor, I think Rose regenerated.” she mumbled, afraid to look up.

“She _what_!”

Her head snapped up and eyes widened in surprise as the Doctor took her shoulders and practically shook her.

“What do you mean she regenerated? She’s human! She can’t regenerate!”

“Um, well, I’m not sure she’s human anymore.”

He frowned at her. His voice was low. “What do you mean you’re not sure she’s human anymore?”

Kari gulped as she stared, slightly terrified, into his eyes. “I felt her pulse after and she has a dual heartbeat.”

The Doctor started pacing, his hands tugging at his hair. “This isn’t possible. What you’re telling me is impossible!”

Kari nodded. “I’m sure it is, but you two are great at redefining impossible.”

He rolled his eyes. “Ain’t that the truth?” he mumbled before stopping to look at Kari. “Are you sure it was a dual heartbeat? You’re sure it wasn’t just beating really fast?”

“Doctor, I’ve felt your pulse before; I know the difference between a rapid heartbeat and a dual one. Rose has two hearts now.”

“Um, excuse me, but what’re you two talking about?” Jacob asked, startling the Doctor and Kari.

The Doctor gestured toward Kari. “She’s trying to tell me that Rose just did what the Master did, only to become the same race as us.” He looked back at Kari. “Did her appearance change?”

Kari shook her head. “Not really, no. Looks like she’s a natural blonde now, but that was the only obvious change. Granted, I passed out again shortly after making sure she was just in a coma, so didn’t get much of a chance to check her out.”

“Wait, passed out _again_? When did you pass out? Why?”

She shrugged. “When she regenerated and I’m not entirely sure. All I know is that I’d been feeling flashes of her pain for a couple days now. I think the intensity of the pain from regeneration knocked me out.”

He opened his mouth to speak before stopping. What the hell was going on? Rose had been in pain for _days_ and Kari could feel it? How did he not know any of this? His mind flitted back to a conversation he and Rose had had the night before. She’d been trying to tell him about a pain in her chest, but didn’t seem concerned. He really needed to start paying closer attention. He took a deep breath to calm himself.

“Alright, so, let me see if I have this straight: Rose has been in pain for a couple of days and you’ve felt it; shortly after leaving the cave, Rose supposedly regenerated, the pain from it knocking you out, and now Rose apparently has two hearts. Am I following so far?”

“Yup.”

He nodded. “Okay, good, now, please answer me this: why didn’t either of you tell me what was going on?”

Kari took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “Rose had promised me she’d tell you if the pain in her chest continued or got worse. She said she told you last night and you agreed it was probably the heat. As for me, I didn’t figure out the unfamiliar pain I’d been feeling was hers until after the Master captured us.”

The Doctor closed his eyes and retreated into his mind for a moment. Was Rose the girl the Master had referred to? If so, how come he hadn’t been able to feel her? This was all too much, even for him. He needed to figure out what to do and there were entirely too many factors. First things first, he decided they needed to bring Rose into the cave. Slowly, he opened his eyes and fixed them on the young guard.

“Jacob, could you please bring Rose in here? She’s not safe out there, even with Alex with her.” He turned his eyes on Kari. “Now, Kari-“ he stopped when she stood up with Jacob and frowned in confusion.

“Sorry, Doctor, but I have to go with him. I gave Alex explicit instructions to not let anyone but you or I anywhere near Rose and that included Jacob.”

“Why would you include him?”

She nodded toward the Master who was starting to stir. “I didn’t want to take the chance that he had been the one shot and would take the form of Jacob.”

He blinked up at her in surprise. “What? He can’t do that!” He glanced at the Master and frowned. “Well, I suppose he could have. He is from one of the new houses. They seem to have more control over their regenerations. Not sure _why_ he would, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility.” He stopped and looked up at Kari when she cleared her throat.

“Bit of a moot point now, isn’t it?”

He nodded. “Yes, I suppose so. Alright, off with you. Bring Rose in here and we’ll figure out our next move.”

The Doctor buried his face in his hands after watching them walk out. He had already been feeling lost without his TARDIS and was a little surprised that he now felt even more lost. It was one thing when it was just the Master that had regenerated, but now apparently Rose had. Not that he didn’t trust Kari, but he wouldn’t believe it until he saw her with his own eyes.

He looked around the cave. They didn’t have much in here to work with. Nothing, actually. No water, no food, nothing. He sighed. There was no way he could get this whole group back to the village, even with the help of the guards. The Master had to be kept restrained; Rose was apparently unconscious. Kari was still obviously weak and if he was honest with himself, he was rather exhausted. He may have to send one or both of the guards back for supplies or help.

The Doctor realized he was going to have to thank Elizabeth for insisting on sending them with him. While he didn’t approve of the guns and wasn’t thrilled  
Jacob had shot the Master, he was grateful for the help they were providing.

He jumped to his feet when he heard the rest of the group come back to the cave, rushing over to take Rose from Alex. Turning, he found what looked to be the most comfortable spot on the floor, against one of the walls. Laying her down, he knelt next to her and brushed her hair away from her face, noting Kari was right; she was a natural blonde now.

His hand was shaking when he carefully put his fingers to the pulse point on her neck. He gasped and pulled away when he felt the dual heartbeat. Not wanting to believe it, he checked again, only to feel it again. Two hearts. His Rose had two hearts. Looking her over, he noted smaller changes: more muscle tone, a little taller, the small scar that had been on her right arm was gone. A smile crept across his face, his eyes never leaving her when he felt Kari kneel next to him.

“I told you so,” she said as she bumped him with her shoulder. She looked at him, her eyes full of concern. “Is this a good or bad thing?”

The Doctor shook his head, the smile slipping slightly. “I’m not sure yet. I want to say it’s good, but it’ll all depend on how she feels about it.”

Kari’s look of concern turned to one of amused amazement. “You’re not serious, are you? Do you really think she’ll think this is a bad thing?”

He shrugged and turned to look at her. “I don’t know. Do you?”

“You silly, daft alien.” Kari laughed. “No, I don’t. Confused, yes, and there will be a great deal of adjustment, but I highly doubt she’ll think it’s a bad thing.” She looked down at her friend. “She’ll know what it means.”

He frowned. “What does it mean?”

Kari slowly turned her head to look at him and blinked. She spoke to him like one might speak to a small child. “Doctor, what is one of your main setbacks with being ‘more than friends’ with her?”

The Doctor stared at her for a moment, trying to figure out where she was going. He had a lot of setbacks - legitimate ones - about moving beyond friends with Rose. He looked down at the woman in question before looking back up at Kari. He frowned and shook his head.

Kari sighed and closed her eyes. “Doctor, she’s not human anymore, at least not fully. She’s presumably one of your kind now.” She slowly opened her eyes to look into his. “Her forever is considerably longer now.”

His eyes went wide with realization as he looked between Rose and Kari. A wide smile spread across his face. “That’s brilliant!” Startling Kari, he swept her into a huge hug. “Absolutely brilliant!”

“Oh, well isn’t that touching,” the Master sneered from across the cave.

Releasing his grip on her, he stood and turned around, shoving his hands in his pockets as he walked over to the Master and stared down at him. He sighed.

“What to do with you?”

The other man shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know. You could just let me go. Let me live the rest of my lives out here. Not like I have a TARDIS to take off in.”

Turning on his heel, he addressed the two guards. “I need one of you to go back to the village and secure transport out of here.”

Alex stepped forward. “No disrespect, Doctor, but it will be dark soon and it’s not safe out at night. We’d make it to town by dark, but not back to the cave. We have no vehicles with lights.”

“Of course you don’t,” he mumbled as he ran a hand through his hair. “Alright, well, I guess we’re here for the night. I don’t want to risk moving Rose too much and Kari’s still weak. There’s no way we’d make it back by dark as a group.”

“Well, if you’d like, I can go back and tell them what’s going on, and then return at first light with assistance.”

The Doctor nodded. “That works. Don’t go into too much detail; just tell them one of our party is unconscious, but stable.”

Alex nodded and gave a salute. “Yes, sir. See you all in the morning.”

The Doctor gave a small salute back before turning his attention to the other guard. “Jacob, do you have any way to start a fire?”

A smile crept across the young man’s face. “Yes, Doctor, I do!”

“Good. Get to work on that.”

Jacob gave a small nod and headed out of the cave to get fire supplies.

Kari walked over to stand next to him. “What’s the plan, boss?”

He gave her a half-smile. “Since when do I ever have a plan?”


	17. Chapter 17

Kari sat against a far wall with her knees pulled to her chest. With her arms wrapped around her legs, she rested her chin on her knees. She should be asleep; she wanted to be asleep, but her mind just wouldn’t shut off. It had been an incredibly long, scary, weird day that had now gone into the night.

She didn’t know how long they’d been in the cave; she suspected hours. It had been dark for quite some time. Dark and cold. She was surprised at how warm the fire kept their temporary shelter.

Taking a deep breath, Kari closed her eyes and tried again to settle her mind. There was just too much chaos going on in it. Ever since she came to the first time, she’d been getting little bits of emotion off Alex and Jacob. Alex’s fear and confusion had been projecting so loudly while she was checking on Rose she’d almost put a hand over his mouth in her own confusion. She hadn’t gotten anything from the Doctor or the Master, but that didn’t surprise her. The Doctor always kept himself well guarded and she suspected the Master did, too. Releasing the breath, she opened her eyes and leaned her forehead on her knees.

The Doctor had been trying to talk to her about what had been going on the last couple of days, trying to make sense of it all. She’d successfully avoided him because, honestly, she was scared and didn’t really want to talk about it. It had been weird enough when it was just Rose, but now that it included the two guards, it was just flat disturbing.

Kari was grateful one of the guards had left; it had cut down on the noise in her head. Not much, but a little; enough to help clear the fog a bit. She was also grateful she could tell her own emotions from those of others. What she really wanted to know was why it was happening. She suspected the Doctor could probably tell her that if she allowed herself to talk about it. But she was tired and grouchy and just didn’t want to deal with it.

She wasn’t at all surprised when the Doctor sat down next to her. She didn’t look up as he spoke.

“You should get some rest.”

“So should you.”

“I’m fine. I don’t need much sleep. You’re human and need more, especially considering the day you’ve had.”

Kari let out an exasperated sigh and turned her head to look at him. “I have tried to sleep and I can’t, so I’ve decided to stop trying to force it. I’ll sleep when we get back to the village.”

He just stared at her for a moment before frowning slightly in obvious concern. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” She turned her head back and propped her chin on her knees, staring out into nothing.

He blew out a breath. “You’re going to have to talk to me about this eventually.”

“I know.”

They sat in uncomfortable silence for a while. Kari tried to will him away, but it didn’t work. She just wanted to be left alone.

~*~&~*~

The Doctor sat staring at Kari; well, the back of her head since she was refusing to look at him. There was something wrong and they both knew it. He’d been trying to get her to talk about it for hours now to no avail. She’d either avoid the question or him entirely. It was driving him nuts, to be perfectly honest. Both of his companions had something weird going on with them and he needed to figure out what. He’d figured since one of them was unconscious, he could at least figure out what was going on with the conscious one. He hadn’t banked on her not wanting to talk about it.

This in and of itself worried him because she’d always been willing to talk about things before, whether he liked it or not. Whatever was going on had to be bad if she was blocking him out.

Running the tip of his tongue along the back of his teeth, he tried to think of a different approach. Clearly talking wasn’t going to work. He almost smacked himself in the forehead when he realized something else he could try.

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and carefully let down his barriers just the slightest bit; just enough to allow a little emotion out. He carefully pushed through his concern and worry, just enough to poke Kari’s mind slightly if his suspicions were right.

He smiled slightly when he heard Kari gasp and felt her surprise. Opening his eyes, he turned to look at her and couldn’t help but laugh. She was looking at him with huge, surprised eyes.

“What was that?”

“That, Kari Maxwell, was me testing a theory. Since you wouldn’t talk to me, I had to figure something else out.”

She frowned at him. “Isn’t what you just did a violation of some sort?”

He nodded. “Technically, yes, and I’m sorry. But it’s not normal for you to not want to talk about something.”

“So you thought invading my privacy would get me to talk?”

The Doctor blinked. He hadn’t really thought of it that way. He was just testing to see if she _could_ feel it. He startled when she suddenly stood up.

“Look, Doctor, I will talk when I’m ready, but I’m not. Quite frankly, whatever the hell is going on is scaring the crap out of me and I need time to process it all. I know you want to help and that it’s driving you nuts that you can’t at least figure out what’s going on with me while Rose is out. I get it. But, please, just let me be for now. You know I will talk when I’m damn good and ready.”

He opened his mouth to respond and closed it as she walked away. Running his hands through his hair, he blew out a frustrated sigh. He’d confirmed his suspicions, but had managed to piss Kari off in the process. Well, he supposed giving her time and space to process things would give him the time to mull over what he’d just attempted.

The Doctor looked over at Rose and sighed. Why hadn’t he felt the pain she was going through? True, he wasn’t necessarily empathic, but he should’ve been able to at least sense it. And why hadn’t he sensed any of the changes that were apparently going on with her but the Master could? How long had they been going on?

That was something else he’d wanted to talk to Kari about, but since she’d walk away before he could ask any questions, he figured that wasn’t going to happen. He suspected she’d known something was going on at least as far back as when they picked up Donna. Suddenly, he remembered something that had happened that day and went over to sit across from Kari at the fire.

He immediately felt her discomfort and annoyance. It was weird to have those barriers down, but as long as he controlled what went out, he didn’t see the harm in keeping the connection there. He sat in silence for a while, not wanting her to feel ambushed. Idly, he picked up a rock and started turning it over in his hand as he stared into the fire.

“What happened to Rose when we saved Donna from the cab?”

Kari looked up at him and frowned. He could feel her confusion and apprehension. “What’re you talking about?”

“Something happened to Rose when we saved Donna from the cab and you quickly took her to the infirmary. When I came to check on you two, you wouldn’t let me in. What happened?”

“Oh, that.” She looked back into the fire. “The console burst into flames when she pulled that lever down and burned her hand pretty badly. She also hit her head, knocking herself out.”

He looked up at her through the fire and saw her eyes on him, watching his reaction. “Then what?”

“Then the burns and concussion healed themselves. Quickly.”

“How quickly?”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Did you see any signs of either when we were under the Thames?”

The Doctor looked back down at the rock in his hand. He’d noticed scorch marks on her clothes, but no signs of serious burns or head trauma. He shook his head. “No.”

“Then there you go.”

“Do you have any idea how long she’s been healing quickly like that?”

Kari shrugged. “She said a few months.”

He frowned. “Why didn’t either of you tell me?”

“It wasn’t mine to tell. As for Rose, she didn’t tell you for the same reason she didn’t want to tell you about the pain in her chest and I didn’t tell you about sensing her feelings. We didn’t want to bother you. We know you have way more important things to worry about.”

“I’d think that would be for me to decide.”

Kari looked up at him and gave a short laugh. “Oh, that’s rich!”

He flinched slightly from the incredulity that came from her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You are the king — sorry, _Lord_ — of making decisions for people.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, it is? Care for some examples?”

He folded his arms over his chest, leaned against the rock behind him, and nodded for her to continue.

Kari held up her hand and ticked off the instances she knew of. “Let’s see, there was leaving Susan on Earth with David.”

He stiffened. “That was for her own good and she was happy.”

“Doesn’t matter; wasn’t your choice to make. Now, who else? Oh, leaving Tegan at Heathrow.”

The Doctor shifted uncomfortably. “Yes, well, that was an accident.”

“Bullshit. I don’t know why you left her and don’t care, but it sure as hell wasn’t an accident. Leaving her left her to get used by Omega against you, so that worked out well.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Any more?”

Kari gave a bitter laugh. “Oh yes! Trying to leave Charley behind when you went to the Divergent Universe. Good thing Leela knew where the backdoor was. Oh, and there’s always sending Rose away from Game Station.” She shook her head and huffed a short laugh. “And there it is! Shutting down the connection _you_ opened to test a theory without asking my permission. Did I hit a nerve, Time Lord?”

“What’s your point, Kari?” he growled, tired of having his past drug up.

“My point is that you frequently make decisions for your companions that _you_ think are for the best. So why should it surprise you that your companions do the same thing to you? We see the decisions you have to make almost daily; decisions no one should ever have to make. The last thing we want to do is bother you with tedious things like healing quickly and sensing the stray feeling.”

He scrubbed his hands down his face and blew out a breath. She was right; he shouldn’t be surprised his companions kept things from him they thought were inconsequential. Slowly, he opened the small connection back up.

“Sorry.”

Kari looked back into the fire. “It’s fine. Just please stop obsessing. You have your reasons for doing what you do and we have ours. They may not always be good ones, but they’re there.”

The Doctor nodded and gazed back into the fire. He relaxed slightly when he felt her annoyance and anger die down. If he were still to find out what was going on with her, the last thing he needed was her to be angry with him. He jumped when she spoke suddenly.

“Jackie’s kitchen.”

“What?”

“First time I noticed it was when we were in Jackie’s kitchen a few days ago. Got a small flash of what seemed like relief that was most definitely not mine.”

His eyes widened slightly. “So that’s what the flinch was!”

She looked up at him in surprise. “You saw that?”

“Yep. Figured you’d say something if it was anything important. Guess I was wrong.” He gave her a goofy grin.

Kari rolled her eyes. “Look, I’m talking, don’t go screwing it up.”

He cleared his throat. “Right, sorry, continue.”

“Anyway, ever since then, I’ve noticed little things, but they only seemed to come from Rose. Confusion, pain, annoyance. Just little flashes. Until we were captured by the Master and her pain worsened. I’m honestly surprised I didn’t pass out before she regenerated.”

He frowned. “Seemed. You said ‘seemed.’”

She nodded. “Ever since she regenerated, I can feel others, specifically Alex and Jacob. Well, and you now that you’ve allowed it. For example, the entire time I was having a go at you, Jacob over there was terrified.”

“How do you know it was Jacob?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Are you terrified of anything right now?” He shook his head. “Alright, then, it’s not me or Rose, and I’m going to assume the Master has the same barriers you do, so it must be Jacob.” She turned to look at the guard as he sat near the entrance of the cave. “It’s okay, by the way, that is by far not the worst I’ve done.”

The Doctor looked past her to the young man. “It’s true. At least she didn’t throw anything at me this time.”

Kari turned back toward the fire. “Don’t push your luck. I’m still annoyed with you.”

“What? Why?”

“Because you couldn’t just leave well enough alone. You had to keep pushing until you got what you wanted. Yeah, it meant having things I’m sure you don’t want to think about drug up, and I’m sorry, but you brought that on yourself.”

“I said I was sorry.”

“I know, and you’re forgiven, but I’m still annoyed. Let me be annoyed. Can you do that for me?”

He frowned. “You’re grumpy!”

She looked at him like he’d drooled on himself. “Ya think? As you so gracefully pointed out, I’m human and have had a long, exhausting day. I’ve been up since who-knows-when, was captured and hauled by force through town by the Master, watched one of my best friends change _species_ , and am trying to deal with feelings that aren’t mine and a nosy Time Lord. I’m tired, dehydrated, and burnt to a crisp. So, yes, I’m grumpy.”

“Right. Of course. So I should probably shut up now, shouldn’t I?”

“That would probably be wise, yes.”

In response, he diverted his eyes back to the fire, not wanting to risk a rock to the head.

~*~&~*~

The Master licked his lips as he watched the exchange between the Doctor and Kari, intrigued at how much she seemed to know about his past. She knew things that he knew were well before her time with the Doctor. It interested him to know how she’d come by this knowledge. The Doctor certainly hadn’t told her; they’d both been programmed to be very tight-lipped about their lives.

He smirked slightly as he realized that, until this afternoon, the Doctor hadn’t known anything about Rose. How absolutely oblivious was he to not have sensed her in his mind? He’d felt her as soon as he’d changed back to his proper form and she apparently wasn’t even Gallifreyan when that happened.

He frowned slightly at the thought of Gallifrey. Could she be considered Gallifreyan if there was no Gallifrey? Time Lord or Lady was a title bestowed upon those who’d attended and finished Academy. She clearly hadn’t done that. While he saw a spark of intelligence in her eyes, it was obvious she’d had no formal education.

A wicked smile spread across his face as another thought occurred to him. Their race was all but dead, the only ones left sat here in this cave. He roughly knew the technology behind the looms and he was sure what he didn’t know, he could find in the Doctor’s TARDIS’s databanks. All they needed was the TNA from a male and female of Gallifreyan physiology.

Lowering his head onto his drawn-up knees, the Master started to mentally outline the beginnings of a plan to not only reestablish his people, but to make them so much better than they ever could have dreamt of being before.

~*~&~*~

Jacob was certain this was the weirdest day he had ever had or would ever have. One person had completely changed his face to avoid death, another had apparently changed species, and yet another could now sense emotions. If he hadn’t experienced it all himself, he never would have believed such things existed.

It actually awed him a bit to find out that there were still things in this ending Universe that could surprise him. Sure, he had met and known aliens, but to know there were ones out there that could regenerate…

His mind wandered to Kari, wondering if she was human or alien. He’d never heard of a human being able to sense feelings — empathic, he thought was the term. After what he’d seen, it didn’t seem out of the realm of possibility. She seemed human, but so had the Doctor and Master.

And what kind of names were those? Did their race not believe in names, only titles? Or were they a race whose language couldn’t be pronounced by most others. It was certainly a mystery he was sure he’d never get the answer to.

He glanced over to the Doctor and Kari, now sitting in uncomfortable silence around the fire. Kari had been right, he was terrified, but not because of her yelling at the Doctor. In fact, that had actually impressed him a bit as he knew he could never stand up to him like that. To be able to look into those timeless, ancient eyes and cut him down without so much as flinching was both amazing and a little crazy.

The three visitors had been a mystery since they’d shown up three days prior. They had apparently crash landed in what he now knew to be a blue, wooden box that could repair itself. He wondered how they could all fit in it. They had happily jumped in to help around the camp, instantly making friends. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t going to miss them though he had limited interactions with them.

Scrubbing his hands down his face, he realized just how tired he was. Stretching a bit, he tried to get as comfortable as he could against the cave wall and closed his eyes. He quite hoped that the worst was over for all of them.


	18. Chapter 18

Rose groaned, stiff from lying on the hard floor of the cave. Her head was throbbing and she still wasn’t entirely sure what had happened. She did know she wasn’t the same person she was when she woke up that morning, or had that been yesterday morning?

Eyes fluttering open, they were met by large, worried brown ones. She frowned as the Doctor hovered over her.

“Give a girl some space. Yeesh.” She tried to sit up and promptly fell back, the Doctor barely catching her before her head hit the ground. “Ohh, what happened?”

He mirrored her frown, but more from worry than annoyance. “You don’t know?”

She brought her hands up and rubbed her temples, trying to pull her thoughts together. While her mind had seemed relatively clear while she’d been trapped in it, now it felt like it was full of pea soup.

“I don’t really remember. There was a lot of pain — burning pain — and then nothing. Well, not nothing. I was trapped in my head, at least that’s what it felt like.” She frowned again. “I don’t think I’m human anymore.”

The Doctor blinked at her in surprise. “You seem to be pretty okay with that concept.”

Rose’s eyes went wide. “Wait. I’m _not_ human anymore?”

He shook his head slowly. “Not entirely, no. I won’t know for sure until I can get you into the TARDIS, but it seems you’ve developed some major Gallifreyan attributes.”

She closed her eyes again, trying to make sense of what he was saying. That’s when she noticed the double heartbeat pulsing through her head. With a shaking hand, she felt the pulse point at her neck, jerking it away when she felt what she’d only ever felt on the Doctor before. So she hadn’t been dreaming; she really did have two hearts.

Both hearts started pounding in her chest as she started to panic, her breathing speeding up so much she almost hyperventilated in spite of the respiratory bypass. Her eyes flew open at the feeling of firm, yet comforting hands on her shoulders.

“Rose, it’s going to be okay. You’re going to be okay.”

She sat bolt upright and looked around her wildly. This had to be a dream. No one changed _species_. You can’t do that! But she apparently had. Her head snapped to look at the Doctor when she felt a comforting nudge against her mind. Taking deep breaths, she tried to calm herself until she remembered she’d felt two mental signatures earlier, while she was unconscious: his and the Master’s, and one of them had regenerated. Her eyes darted around again until they lay on the disgruntled and, thankfully, restrained form of whom she assumed was the bastard that had forced Kari and herself to come to this cave in the first place.

The Doctor’s gaze followed hers. “He regenerated the same time you did, apparently. Jacob shot him after he attacked me.”

Rose nodded as she stared at the Master blankly, her eyes unfocused. This was all too much to deal with. A large part of her just wanted to go back to sleep until everything had passed. There was still a part of her that was sure this was all a dream and she was still asleep.

Kari shifted in her sleep restlessly, causing Rose’s focus to move to her before looking back to the Doctor when he squeezed her shoulder. She’d forgotten his hands were still there.

“She’s okay, too.”

Rose frowned at his choice of words and the tone of his voice. Had something happened to Kari, too? What the hell was going on? She turned to look at her friend again, sensing that something was definitely different, just not sure what.

She opened her mouth to ask what was wrong with Kari when they heard vehicles outside the cave. Turning wild, scared eyes on the Doctor, she clenched onto his hand when he stood up.

He smiled down at her comfortingly. “It’s okay, Rose. That would be Alex with transport from the village. I’m going to let them know what’s going on. I’ll be right back.”

Nodding and releasing his hand, albeit reluctantly, she watched him walk away. She drew her knees to her chest and hugged them, rocking slightly as tears came to her eyes. She was so confused. She wasn’t human anymore, her friend Jonathon was really some evil Time Lord known as the Master, and something was going on with Kari that clearly had the Doctor concerned. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to will it all away, knowing full well it wouldn’t work.

Her eyes snapped open at the sound of someone approaching her, tensing until they focused on the Doctor, who was holding his hand down to her. She took it and allowed him to slowly pull her up.

“You head on to the truck with Jacob. I’m going to wake Kari up.” His voice was soft and gentle, as if afraid to startle her.

Rose looked between the Doctor and Jacob, scared to leave his side. It took him carefully guiding her toward the young guard for her to actually go with him. Slowly, she followed him outside, flinching against the bright morning light of the sun. She was pleasantly surprised to find it didn’t seem as hot as it had previously.

She allowed him to lead her to the truck and was about to get in when she saw the Master cuffed to a seat inside and surrounded by armed guards. Backing away quickly, she hid behind Jacob.

“It’s alright, ma’am, he’s firmly secured and well-guarded.”

Rose peaked out from behind the young man before she spoke, her voice shaky. “If it’s all the same to you, I think I’ll wait for the Doctor.”

Nodding, the guard simply led her to the shade of the truck and waited with her. He looked at her in wonder and a bit of confusion. She frowned up at him.

“What?”

Jacob startled and blushed. “I’m sorry, ma’am. I didn’t mean to stare. It’s just…”

She raised an eyebrow, encouraging him to continue. She had no idea what he had seen or knew from the events of the previous day.

He blew a breath out. “It’s just that the Doctor and Kari said that you weren’t human anymore, but you look human. Then again, so do they and that Master guy.”

Rose smiled slightly as she looked at her hands, turning them over, remembering when she’d met the Doctor and told him he looked human. She looked back up at Jacob and smirked slightly.

“No, you look Time Lord. They — we? — were here first. And Kari is human. At least, she was when I passed out.”

Jacob’s eyes grew large with surprise. “So, you’re not human, either?”

She laughed slightly. “I was when I came here. I don’t know how much, if any, is left. But, no, I am no longer fully human it seems.”

He opened his mouth to say something else, but was interrupted when the Doctor approached them.

“Alright, Kari’s awake and loaded into the other truck. They’re going to take her straight back to our tent while we’re heading to the jail.”

Smiling weakly, Rose once again allowed herself to be led away. 

~*~&~*~

“Kari, wake up, Alex is back with transport to the village.”

She woke with a start, not remembering falling asleep. She blinked up at the Doctor as he gently shook her awake.

“How long have I been out?”

He helped her stand up. “Five hours or so. Almost fell head first into the fire.”

“Ah, well, that could’ve made things a lot more interesting.”

He laughed. “That’s one way to put it.” He nodded toward the entrance. “Go on out. The Master is already secured; Rose and I will ride with him to the jail.”

“Is she still out?”

“Came to about half an hour ago.”

Kari nodded and made her way out of the cave. She barely got her arm up in time to block the early morning sun, cringing as it hit the burn that covered her arms, face, and neck. Smiling, she accepted Alex’s hand as he helped her into the back of a truck.

“Morning.”

Alex returned her smile as he handed her a cup of coffee and an egg sandwich. “Morning. You seem to have held up well.”

She shrugged. “We’ve been in worse.” She took a bite of the sandwich and moaned. “Oh, that’s good! I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”

He laughed. “There’s plenty more. We knew you didn’t have food and had very little water, so we brought provisions.”

“Brilliant!” She held up her cup. “Cheers!”

Taking a huge gulp of her coffee, she almost spat it out when the truck lurched into motion. Alex’s arm across her chest was the only reason she stayed in her seat.

“Sorry, they were supposed to warn us before they moved. You okay?”

She nodded as she caught her breath. “Yup, thanks.”

They fell into a comfortable silence as she ate. For the first time, Kari took a look around her, nodding to the various guards that were watching her with curiosity. This made her frown slightly. What had Alex told them?

Finishing her breakfast, she leaned back and closed her eyes, listening to the hum of the engine and felt the bumping as they drove over the rough terrain. It made her miss her bed on the TARDIS even more. And her cat. And her own clothes. Man, she hoped this all ended soon.

Her eyes snapped open when she felt a sense of sympathy. Where’d that come from? She couldn’t tell if it was someone in the truck with her or the Doctor. She glanced around the truck and no one seemed to show any sort of sympathy. At least not toward her. Toward someone else? Oh, this was frustrating!

Sometime later, they came to a stop. Once again, Kari took Alex’s offered hand as she hopped out. She smiled when she saw they were in front of her tent.

“Oh, I never thought I’d be so happy to see this thing!”

Alex smiled. “Yeah, they’re pretty great when you have nothing else.”

She turned her smile to the young man. “Thank you, Alex, for everything. You’ve been a huge help to all of us.”

He gave a small salute. “The pleasure was all mine, ma’am.”

She returned the salute and went into the tent, relishing the air conditioning. Sitting down long enough to get her boots off, Kari made a bee line for the shower.

She let the cool water run down her neck and back, soothing the burn. Carefully, she massaged shampoo into her burned scalp, cringing slightly. She gathered handfuls of water and splashed it on her face. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a burn this bad.

Stepping out, she lightly dried and wrapped a towel around herself, and wandered into the bedroom. She was quite surprised the Doctor and Rose hadn’t made it back yet. Then again, they may have gone to the hospital so the Doctor could check Rose out.

After putting on a clean shirt and shorts, she stretched and looked at the cot. Again, she was both incredibly grateful to see it and longed for her bed on the TARDIS. Taking a step toward the bed, Kari was stopped by a hand over her mouth, a knife to her throat, and a familiar voice in her ear.

“Scream and I slit your throat.”


	19. Chapter 19

Kari scowled as she once more found herself being guided through town against her will by the Master, only with a new face. Well, new to him; she was familiar with it. It was the same face he’d worn as “Harold Saxon” in her time. While it hadn’t surprised her, she had hoped he would’ve taken a different body. She’d spent all night watching him, absorbing the reality of that face _actually_ being the Master. And here she thought she was done having to reconcile her previous life with this one.

She barely stifled a yelp of pain when he tightened his grip on her arm and quickly guided them toward an alley, presumably avoiding some guards he’d seen ahead.

“So how’d you get out?”

The Master smirked. “Quite easily. Quick dislocation of my thumbs — simple, especially while in my regenerative cycle — and I was out of the cuffs. Untied myself, slipped out of the tent — honestly, who uses a tent for a jail? — killed a guard for his weapons and here we are!” He scoffed. “Stupid humans, thinking they can keep me detained.”

“We kept you pretty detained last night.”

He rolled his eyes. “Please, girl, I could’ve gotten out of that any time I wanted. I just didn’t see a point since I had nowhere to go. Why waste the effort?”

She sighed. “And how long do you think before you’re recaptured?”

He sneered down at her. “Long enough to get you out of sight and gagged, though I’m wondering why I didn’t do that before I took you from the tent.”

It was her turn to roll her eyes. “Because that would’ve made it rather obvious you were taking me against my will. Again.”

He squeezed her arm tight, making her cringe and hiss in pain. “You just don’t learn, do you? Here you are, being led through town against your will again, and yet you continue to run your mouth.” Pulling them around the side of a tent and behind some crates, he turned her to look at him. He lowered his face so they were nose to nose, his eyes blazing with hatred and disgust. “Remember that I can and will kill you in a heartbeat. I don’t need you. You’re inconsequential to my plans. All you are is a guard dog, and an ineffective one at that.” He stood and sneered. “In fact, that is how I will address you from now on: dog.” Yanking her arm again, he led them back out to the alley they’d been walking down. “Now, be a good girl and heel.”

Kari did her best to not react, to not give him the satisfaction, but it was difficult now that she knew just how expendable she was to him. She’d had her suspicions, but wasn’t thrilled with having them confirmed. She tried to force some degree of distress to the Doctor via the connection he had opened up, but found it blocked off, as it had been since she’d been taken.

The Master scoffed. “Don’t think about trying to send a distress signal to the Doctor via your little connection. I shut that down long ago, as I’m sure you noticed.” He smiled when she looked up at him in surprise. “What? You think I wasn’t paying attention to anything you two said in that cave? Of course I know about him opening up a connection to you, though I’m not sure why he would risk leaving it open.”

Sighing, she resigned herself to looking around them, once again trying to not make it obvious she was looking for the Doctor, or anyone, really, that could help her. She frowned as a thought came to her.

“Where are you taking me, anyway?”

“Abandoned section of the hospital. Now shut up before I find a way to muzzle you. I’m tired of your incessant yipping.”

~*~&~*~

The Doctor continued to pace impatiently as they were forced to wait for Elizabeth. He wanted to get Rose back to the tent so he could properly examine her, or as properly as he could without the TARDIS. The niggling feeling he’d had in the back of his mind that something was just not right continued, which bothered him even more considering everything that had happened in the last twenty five hours.

“Look, I don’t see why we have to wait here. Why can’t she just come to our tent? I need to get Rose somewhere comfortable and I need to check on Kari. Neither of them is all that well.”

One of the guards by the door sighed, again. “Sir, as we have already told you, we have strict orders to not let you leave until Captain James has gotten a full report from you.”

The Doctor spun on the guard. “Full report? How is a report more important than the health and wellbeing of my companions?”

Another sigh. “It’s not, sir, but we have our orders.”

He snarled. “Yes, of course, orders.” His eyes snapped down at the touch of Rose’s hand on his.

“Doctor, please, it’s okay. Kari will be fine. I’m feeling better. Just please relax.”

Closing his eyes, he ran his hands down his face and tried to take her advice. This was easier said than done. He didn’t trust the Master to not figure out a way to escape what he knew was a pretty flimsy jail. Opening his eyes at the sound of Elizabeth finally entering the tent, his smile was less than amiable.

“Oh, hello! Thank you for finally joining us!”

Elizabeth sat down and gave the Doctor a firm look. “I am very sorry for keeping you. Had I known the full extent of the situation prior to you coming back, I would’ve allowed you to go back to your tent before meeting with me. Alex was very reluctant in what information he gave us, apparently on your orders.”

The Doctor nodded. “I didn’t see a point in him going into too much detail.”

“Doctor, please, sit down so we can discuss what happened. The sooner you do that, the sooner you can leave.”

Glaring, he took a seat next to Rose, who was sipping what had to be her fourth cup of tea. “Fine. What do you want to know?”

Elizabeth leaned her arms on the desk. “Who is this Master person? How did he not seem to know who he was before? Why doesn’t he look the same as he did when he apparently took the girls from the village?” Leaving her hands clasped on the desk, she leaned back in her chair. “Quite frankly, I want to know everything as this has been a great disturbance to my village.”

The Doctor openly gaped at the woman, astounded at her apparent lack of priorities. “Great disturbance…? Are you serious?” Rolling his eyes, he was back out of his chair and pacing, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t have time for this.” He turned and slammed his hands on the woman’s desk, causing her to flinch slightly. “Look, all you need to know is that the man you have handcuffed to a chair in a _tent_ is incredibly dangerous and deadly. He will go to great lengths to make all of your lives miserable. If he were to get out-“ he was cut short by shouts outside.

Elizabeth stood as a guard came running in, breathless. “What’s going on? What’s all the shouting?”

“It’s Johnson, ma’am, he’s dead. We think it was the prisoner that came back with the Doctor, ma’am. He’s missing, as are Johnson’s gun and knife.”

Rose dropped her cup and looked at the Doctor in horror and fear. “Doctor, you don’t think…?” She trailed off, afraid to voice her fears.

He nodded as he flinched slightly. “He’s already gotten to her and blocked the connection I had opened up.” Turning angry eyes on Elizabeth, his voice was quiet and calm. “If Kari is harmed because your guards couldn’t hold him, I’m holding you personally responsible. I suggest you get every guard you have out looking for them.” Rage flared when she just stood, staring at him. “ _Now_!” he bellowed before grabbing Rose’s hand and hauling her out of the tent.

~*~&~*~

Rose stumbled behind the Doctor as he dragged her through the compound, no idea where he was taking her.

“Safe. Somewhere safe,” he mumbled to himself, finally stopping in the middle of the road and looking around frantically.

She looked up at him, fear and worry apparent on her face. “Doctor?”

“I need to get you somewhere safe, Rose, somewhere he can’t find you.” He didn’t look at her as he spoke, running his free hand through his hair in frustration.

“I’m coming with you to find Kari.”

He finally looked down at her, his eyes full of anger, rage, and fear of his own, causing her to gasp. He rarely let his fear show.

“Rose, he already has Kari. I can’t risk him taking you, too. Not again. You’re still too weak and I don’t know what he’s planning, though I guarantee it’s nothing good.”

Tears pricked the corners of her eyes at the thought of anything bad happening to their friend. If that monster hurt her… She shook her head, determined.

“No, I’m not hiding. I’m not going to wait around until you come back for me. I’m going with you.”

“Rose…”

“No! Dammit, she’s my friend, too! I care about her and I want to help! It’s my fault we’re in this mess. If I had just left that damn watch be...”

The Doctor closed his eyes in resignation and sighed out. “Fine. Just please stay with me and do what I say. I don’t trust him and can only imagine what he’d do with you if he got a hold of you.”

She gave a short nod. “Deal.” She looked around them. “Now, where do we start?”

He shrugged as he ran his hand down his face. “I honestly have no idea. I doubt he’d take her back out of town. He knows there’s nothing out there. But staying in the village is dangerous.” He frowned down at Rose. “Do you think he’d go back to the hospital?”

Rose shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe? There are some abandoned sections. Think he’d use those?”

He scanned the horizon for the hospital. “I wouldn’t put it past him. He’s going to want anything familiar; something he knows inside and out. All the better to hide and keep hostages.”

Rose shuddered at the word. Hostages. Kari had been reduced to a hostage, assuming she was still alive. No, she wasn’t going to think like that. Kari was alive and she was going to stay that way. They were going to find her and everything would be fine. It’s what they did. She was snapped out of her thoughts when the Doctor squeezed her hand. She looked up to him smiling sadly down at her.

“We’ll find her, Rose, I promise.”

She nodded and returned his smile the best she could. “I know we will.”

With another squeeze of her hand and a tug, they set out in a run toward the hospital, yelling for Alex and Jacob to join them.


	20. Chapter 20

Kari ran up the stairs, slamming into the door as it shut and locked. She pounded her fists against it.

“Let me out! You can’t keep me here! He’ll find me. You can’t stop him!”

Kicking the door, she stormed back down the stairs and looked around in what seemed like a basement level of one of the old hospital buildings. There was a chair that she knew wasn’t tall enough to get her to the tiny window near the ceiling. There were some shelves with basic first aid items — tape, gauze, bandages — but nothing of much use.

She jumped when she heard the door unlock. Picking up the chair, she positioned herself, ready to beat the bastard over the head with it.

“Hello? Miss Kari, are you down here?”

“Who is that?”

A young guard slowly reached the bottom of the stairs. “The name’s Carl, ma’am. Are you okay?”

She nodded and was about to put the chair down when she heard a creak. Looking up, saw the Master slowly making his way down the stairs, a sick sneer on his face.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here? Someone come to free the mutt, I see.”

The guard spun and shakily aimed his gun at the Master. “Stop right there, sir. I will shoot if you take another step.”

The Master stopped and smirked. “Oh, I’m sure you will, and you’ll kill me. But I’ll just regenerate again. Must say that would be a record: two in one day. You, on the other hand, do not have that option.”

Having bewildered the guard with talk of regeneration, the Master raised the gun he’d acquired and fired, shooting the young man in the head.

Kari stared in horror at the man lying on the floor, eyes wide and glassy, blood pooling under his head. Shaking, she looked down at herself and saw his blood splattered all over her legs..

“Oh god, oh god, oh god.”

The Master scoffed as he kicked the dead guard in the head. “Your God can’t help you here. No God can, in fact.” He rolled his eyes. “Imbecile. Thinking he can just waltz in here and free you.” Sighing, he bent down and threw the man over his shoulder and started up the stairs. “Now don’t you go anywhere! I’m just going to take out the trash and will be right back,” he said in a singsong voice before slamming the door shut and locking it again.

Kari stared at the door for a long while in horror. Her eyes eventually made their way back to the puddle of blood on the floor and the splatter on her legs. She’d seen someone get shot in the head before, but it was Jack. While horrifying, there was at least the comfort that he’d come back to life. There was no coming back for that young man. And all he’d been doing was trying to save her.

Tears sprang to her eyes as the horror faded and the sadness, fear, and anger hit. The Master had shot him, just like that. She wondered with grim curiosity when she would be next.

She didn’t bother to try to stop the tears as the Master came back down, a bucket in one hand and mop in the other. He slammed them down on the floor in front of her, slopping soapy water all over, and threw the mop at her.

“Since it’s your fault there’s such a mess, you’re going to clean it up.” Grabbing her hair, he shoved her head down slightly so she had to look at the blood. He put his mouth next to her ear and snarled. “I want it spotless, do you understand me? Spotless.”

Once she’d nodded her understanding, he pushed her forward, releasing her hair, the mop the only thing keeping her from falling on her knees into the blood. Sobbing freely, she began mopping up the mess, only jumping slightly when he slammed and locked the door.

~*~&~*~

The Doctor, Rose, Alex, and Jacob came to a stop in front of the hospital. The group stared at the buildings. The Doctor looked down at Rose.

“Which buildings are abandoned?”

She shook her head. “I’m not sure. I just know a few are abandoned.”

“I know which ones, Doctor.” Alex said, stepping up beside him.

He slapped the guard on the back. “Good man. Lead the way.”

The guard led them around to some buildings hidden in the back. Buildings that were, much to the Doctor’s surprise, even less run down than the buildings they were using. He feared the reasons why they had abandoned them. As if sensing his confusion, Alex answered his unasked question.

“These were some of the first attempts at actually building here. They have major structural faults.” He pointed to a building with part of its roof collapsed in. “That happened when a sizeable truck drove by, shaking it. Killed thirty people.”

Rose looked around in shock and horror. “And they’ve just been left up?”

Alex shrugged and smiled sheepishly. “We never expected to have a mad man amongst us, ma’am.”

The Doctor shook his head. “No one ever does.” He swept his eyes over the buildings, having no idea where to start. There were six of them and they were all partially collapsed. He turned to look at Alex. “Any idea which one would be most likely for a madman to hide?”

Jacob spoke up first, pointing to the building to the right of the collapsed roof. “That one. It’s the only one with a basement. It was supposed to be used as secure storage, so has a heavy locking door.”

Taking a deep breath, he started walking toward the building, the rest of the group following closely. As they neared, they noticed a dark trail in the dirt. The Doctor bent down and picked some of it up in his fingers, rubbing it between them before tasting it. Rose cringed.

“Ugh, do you have to do that? You don’t even know what it is!”

Spitting it out, he ignored her protests. “It’s blood. Human blood. Fresh.” He stood and followed the trail, which led away from the building they’d been heading toward.

They could smell the body before they saw it. Rose wretched and refused to continue. Jacob, who looked a bit green, offered to stay with her while the Doctor and Alex covered their mouths and noses and continued following the trail. Alex gasped when they came upon the body of the dead guard. He lay on the ground, eyes still open, bullet hole in his head. The Doctor knelt down and closed the man’s eyes.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Standing, he turned and stalked back toward the building with the basement, the rest of the group gladly following. Rose took his hand and squeezed it. He looked down at her and was met by terrified eyes.

“It wasn’t her, Rose. It was a guard. Looks like we weren’t the first to have the idea to come here.” He sighed. “I should’ve made sure guards went in groups. At least he would’ve had a fighting chance.”

They followed the trail to a side door on the building. Taking a deep breath, the Doctor carefully tried the door. It was locked. Slipping the sonic screwdriver out of his pocket, he quickly and quietly unlocked it and eased the door open. Putting a finger over his mouth to indicate the group should stay quiet, they slipped in, spreading out slightly and pulling the door closed behind them.

They seemed to be in a service corridor, the only light coming from windows high up on the walls. The hallway was littered with railings that had long fallen. Taking a small torch out of his pocket, the Doctor found the blood trail again. The group gradually picked their way through debris, careful not to knock anything loose.

It bothered him that the Master had left such an easy trail. He didn’t trust it. Then again, he didn’t trust anything about the Master. He wondered yet again what had happened to the man who had once been his closest, dearest friend. Where had he gotten such a taste for manipulation, power, and destruction? The thought caused a shiver to go down his spine, mostly because he knew that, if left to his own devices, he could go down that road. He’d started down it many times before, any time he traveled alone for too long. It was one of the many reasons he had companions.

He shook his head slightly, bringing his thoughts back to the present. He needed to pay attention to the here and now. Why had the Master left this trail? It was careless. He was rarely ever this careless. The Doctor sensed a trap and for what he was sure was the hundredth time in the last ten minutes wished Rose would’ve let him find some place safe for her.

The trail ended in front of a heavy door with a ‘Storage’ sign on it. Taking a few steps back, he brought the other three in so he could speak quietly.

“There’s a very good chance we’ll find a trap on the other side of that door.” He looked between the guards. “I’m going to unlock the door and go in first. He’s not going to shoot without knowing who it is and he’s not going to shoot me outright. It’s not his style. Besides, we don’t even know if he’s in there. I want you to do the same thing you did yesterday at the cave. And just like at the cave, your priority is getting the girls out.” He looked down at Rose. “I don’t want you going in there. I don’t want to risk you, too.” He held up his hand to stop her protests. “But, like I said, I don’t even know if he’s in there, so you’re going in with me. He’s even less likely to shoot if you’re with me.”

Rose frowned. “Why? What’s so important about me?”

His eyes softened as he lifted his hands to her cheeks and kissed her on the forehead. “Oh, my Rose…” He sighed and his eyes turned sad. “He knows we’re the only Time Lords left. He’s going to want to keep me alive for various disturbing reasons, but…” He trailed off, not wanting to continue the thought.

“He’ll want to keep me alive because he can restart your race with me.”

The Doctor nodded, anger flashing through his eyes at the thought of the Master laying a hand on Rose, let alone doing anything to or with her that it would require to restart their race.

Rose took his wrists and placed kisses on his palms before smiling up at him. “You are the only Time Lord I have any intention of even considering restarting your race with.”

Smiling, he placed a soft, chaste kiss on her lips before collecting himself, slightly embarrassed once he remembered the guards were still standing there.

“Right, let’s get in there and save Kari!”


	21. Chapter 21

Cowering in a corner, Kari watched as the Master paced the room she had just mopped, getting muddy boot prints all over it. That was the least of her worries, naturally. He’d been none too happy when he had returned some ten minutes ago.

She had just finished mopping when he slammed the door open and stormed down the stairs. He grabbed her wrist and spun her around, allowing her to barely stop before he backhanded her, causing her to fall from the force. Clutching the side of her face, she’d tried to crawl away from him before he started kicking her.

“How’d you do it, you dumb mutt? How’d you manage to lead him here so quickly? I blocked your damn connection!”

She had barely been able to make out his yelling as she curled herself into a ball, trying to protect herself from the swift kicks he was landing on her. By the time he’d stopped, she was broken, bleeding, and crying, terrified of what had set him off.

He crouched down next to her and pulled her head up out of her arms by her hair, making her scream out in pain. “Answer me, dog!”

“I…I’m sorry. I don’t know,” she stuttered out through sobs.

“Liar!” He slammed her head into the floor, breaking her glasses and causing a gash in her head. “How?!”

“I swear! I don’t know!”

Growling in frustration, he released her hair, gave her another kick, and stormed back up the stairs to close and lock the door.

She took the opportunity to drag her beaten and broken body to a dark corner, doing her best to keep away from him. There was no way she could run. She couldn’t see and she was pretty sure one of her legs was broken. All she could do was cower and watch him pace and rant.

“I wasn’t ready! He shouldn’t have been able to find me this quickly. Dammit!” He threw the chair she’d tried to use as a weapon across the room, shattering it into pieces. He turned and stalked up to her, causing her to do everything she could to become part of the wall. “It was his precious Rose, wasn’t it? You have a connection with her!” He reached out to grab her hair again and stopped, instead stroking his hand down the side of her face, almost affectionately. His features changed slightly, more thoughtful. “No, I would’ve been able to sense that, too. I could sense it earlier, before I got shot and regenerated. It was gone when I came to.” He frowned slightly. “I wonder why that is.”

He abruptly stood and strode away, his demeanor slightly brighter. He waved a hand vaguely over his shoulder. “No matter. I can work with this. He’s weak when it comes to women. He’ll be too focused on getting you out and keeping Rose safe to realize he’s walking into a trap.”

Kari’s eyes darted up to the door as she heard it unlock. Her heart leapt into her throat as she both hoped and feared it was the Doctor. She could only just make out the blurry figures standing at the top as the Doctor and Rose. She wasn’t sure who the two figures behind were, but she imagined they were guards.

The Master clapped his hands together in delight. “Doctor! Rose! How lovely to see you again! I was wondering if you’d be able to find my little hideaway here. Quite cozy, don’t you think?” He looked around the room proudly, like it was a rec room and not a dirty basement in an abandoned building.

The Doctor slowly took a step down. “Where’s Kari?”

“Who? Oh, your guard dog! She’s around here somewhere.”

He took another couple of steps down, Rose and the figures behind him following suit. As they got a bit closer, Kari could see the guns the other two figures were carrying trained on the Master.

“Stop playing games. Where is she?”

“Oh, come now! The least you could do is ask nicely.” Kari could hear the mock pout in his voice before it turned into a sneer. “And use my name.”

The Master stood his ground as the group came down a few more steps. The Doctor’s voice became even colder and even than it had before, making the hairs on Kari’s neck stand on end.

“ _Please_ , Master, where is she?”

“That’s better.” He made to look around the room, deliberately not looking behind him. She was fairly certain he had placed himself so that she was blocked from view. “Hmm, I don’t see her anywhere.” He gave a shrug. “I have no idea where she could’ve gotten to.”

One of the figures with guns — was that Alex? — cleared his throat. “Doctor, back there, in the corner.”

The Master stepped aside and looked back at her, feigning surprise. Rose gasped and made to run for her, but the Doctor held her back.

“Well, now, how’d you get back there? Didn’t you hear us looking for you?” He walked up to her, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her up, causing her to scream out in pain. He snarled. “Your owners have come looking for you, mutt.”

“Stop it! Let her go!” Rose screamed, fighting to get to Kari.

The Master gave Rose an innocent look. “Let her go? Alright.” He let go of Kari’s wrist, causing her to drop back down to the floor, unable to support her own weight. He looked down at her in disgust as she began to sob again. “Pathetic, worthless animal.”

Kari was barely able to lift her head to continue to watch what was going on, not that she could focus on anything. The room spun around her as her head throbbed. It was everything she could do to keep from throwing up, though a part of her thought it would be fitting to puke on the Master’s boots that were already covered in her blood.

Finally able to focus a bit, she saw that the Doctor and Rose had made it all the way to the bottom of the stairs, while the guards stayed a couple steps up, guns steady on the Master.

The Doctor took a step forward. His voice continued to be cold and even, his eyes trained on the Master, only occasionally flicking to Kari’s broken form.

“Stop this. You’ve got me here. Let her go.”

“She’s free to go whenever she wants to now. Though it seems she’s a bit…inhibited. I may have gotten a little overzealous while she’s been in my care.”

Rose tried to leap forward again; the only thing keeping her back was the Doctor’s firm grip on her wrist. “Overzealous? Care? You beat her!”

“Well, how else do you treat a disobedient animal? Surely she gets a bit unruly on the TARDIS. Do you not discipline her?”

“I…am…not…a…damn dog,” Kari rasped out, tired of him referring to her as an animal.

The Master kicked her again. “Shut up, mutt! The people are talking!”

Groaning, Kari allowed herself a small smile as the relief of unconsciousness took her, her whole world going dark.

~*~&~*~

With great swiftness, the Doctor was upon the Master, placing himself between Kari and the other Time Lord. He snarled as he spoke.

“You will _not_ touch her again. You have me. I’m here. Leave her alone.”

“So arrogant, Doctor, thinking you’re what I want. You know full well you’re not the one I want.”

“I’m the one you’re getting.”

The Master shrugged and turned away. “Very well. Suppose I can just get you to turn another human female into one of our kind like you did with Rose there.”

“I didn’t turn Rose into anything. It was… an accident.”

The Master sneered. “Oh, I’m sure it was. Always have to have a few accidents before you get it right. Perhaps the rumors were true.”

The Doctor growled. “Stop it.”

The Master’s voice became taunting. “They were, weren’t they? You were Rassilon’s prodigy, taking it upon yourself to create a new race of beings. How many did you go through before you got this one, Doctor?”

Rose gasped as the Doctor lifted the Master up and pushed him back against the wall.

“I didn’t create her, Master, nor have I tried to create any others. I am no one’s prodigy, especially Rassilon’s.”

Rose’s voice came through the fog of the Doctor’s mind, small and scared.

“Doctor…”

“You’re scaring your female, Doctor. Perhaps you need to rethink your words.”

The Doctor set the Master down, but didn’t let him go. “There’s nothing to rethink.”

“Very well, Doctor. Doesn’t change anything, anyway. It’s just the three of us now, and only one of us is female.”

The Doctor’s hand clenched on the Master’s throat, all of the rage he’d been barely containing coming through. There was no way he would let this monster anywhere near Rose. His grip loosened only the slightest bit when Rose protested.

“Doctor, no!”

The Master’s voice came strained. “Listen to her, Doctor. Do you really want more blood on your hands?”

His grip tightened again as he pressed his face into the other man’s. “I’m not the one who has beaten an innocent girl to near death and senselessly killed at least two people today.”

Despite barely being able to breath, the Master smirked. “No, but you did admit to destroying our people. Is this something your precious Rose knew?” A smile spread across his face as guilt flashed through the Doctor’s eyes. “She didn’t, did she? Fascinating!”

The Doctor squeezed tighter, trying to silence the other man. His voice became low and dangerous. “Stop.”

He started at the touch of a hand on his shoulder. Turning to see who it was, his blazing eyes were met by terrified hazel ones. He tried to get himself under control as he spoke through clenched teeth.

“Rose, get back. I don’t want you hurt.”

Her eyes turned pleading as she continued to stare up at him. Her voice was quiet and as calm as she could make it. “Doctor, please, let him go. You don’t have to do this. There are other ways.”

He turned to look back at the Master, whose face had begun to pale from lack of oxygen. A respiratory bypass only went so far. He loosened his grip, allowing him to breathe, but didn’t let him go. Keeping his eyes on the Master, he spoke to the guards over his shoulder.

“One of you bring me something to secure him with. Rose, go check on Kari, make sure she’s still breathing.” He slipped his free hand into his pocket and handed the sonic to her. “See if you can help her at all with this, at least be able to stop some of the bleeding.”

Nodding, Rose took it and quickly made her way to Kari.

Neither man spoke as they continued to stare at each other, both practically challenging the other to speak first. The Doctor didn’t like the fact that the Master was just standing there. He hadn’t tried to fight him or get away. He just stood and stared, almost tauntingly.

Jacob approached with handcuffs and tape. The Doctor looked at the roll of tape in disgust, wondering whose blood was all over it. Gripping one end with his teeth, he tore a piece off, threw the roll on the floor, and slapped the tape over the Master’s mouth. Now, even if he had wanted to continue to taunt him, he couldn’t. In one fluid movement, he grabbed one the man’s wrists, and spun him around, locking the arm behind his back. He slapped one side of the handcuffs on him as he grabbed the other wrist, quickly following suit with it.

Yanking him away from the wall, he passed him to Jacob, who had stood waiting and silent, waves of fear and apprehension coming off of him. He nodded toward Alex, who still had his gun trained on the Master.

“You two take him back to the jail. Do _not_ , under any circumstances, take the cuffs or tape off of him nor let him out of your sight. Do I make myself clear?” The two guards nodded solemnly. “Good. On your way, stop at the hospital and send someone here to help us get Kari out. Now go!”

Nodding again, both guards took off up the stairs, Jacob forcefully pushing the Master ahead of him. The Doctor watched them leave and noted what seemed to be a sneer on the Master’s face, despite the tape. Shaking his head, he made his way to Rose’s side by Kari.

Rose had managed to seal up most of her superficial wounds, but it was obvious she had serious broken bones and possible internal bleeding. Carefully taking the sonic from her shaking hands, the Doctor changed settings and scanned Kari. She had a severe concussion as well as broken ribs, a broken leg, and broken wrist. He was surprised she wasn’t in worse shape.

Standing, he closed his eyes and ran his hands down his face. Blowing out a large sigh, he shoved his hands in his pockets and looked down at his broken friend. Rose looked up at him with wet eyes. Her voice was shaky from crying.

“Is she going to be okay?”

He slowly shook his head. He didn’t have it in him to lie. “I don’t know, Rose.”

Their attention was drawn to the door at the top of the stairs when they heard it open. Medics started making their way down with various supplies and a gurney. Bending down, the Doctor took Rose by the shoulders and carefully pulled her up and out of the way, letting them do their work. He relayed what he had already found to them. Numbly, they both followed the group up and out toward the hospital.

A few feet away from the building, the Doctor’s head snapped to one side, his eyes wide in alarm, seconds before the commotion could be heard. Dropping Rose’s hand, he took off at a dead run in the direction of the shouting. Skidding around a corner, he stopped short when he saw the cause of the commotion.

Jacob lay unconscious on the ground; not dead, as he could see his chest rising and falling, just unconscious. Next to him, the Master lay, shot in the chest, again, Alex’s gun trained on him, the young man shaking. A crowd was gathering around, beginning to block his view.

The Doctor’s legs started moving of their own volition, his arms pushing his way through the crowd. He fell on his knees next to the Master, carefully removing the tape from his mouth. Slipping his arm under the man’s shoulders, he lifted him to a slight sitting position, sliding his knees under him.

The Master hissed in a painful breath. “Humans have incredibly hard heads.”

A small smile quirked at the Doctor’s lips. “You head butted him?”

The other man shrugged, causing him to wince in pain. “You didn’t leave me many more options.” He nodded painfully toward Alex. “Is that the same one that shot me yesterday?”

The Doctor looked up at the shaking guard and gestured for him to drop his weapon. Shaking his head, he looked back down at the man in his lap. “No, that was the one knocked out over there.”

“Ah, well, glad they could both get a chance.”

The Doctor looked into his old friend’s eyes and saw the light slipping from them. He could tell he had no intention of regenerating. He fought the tears that sprung to his eyes as he smiled tightly.

“So, I know it’s not ideal, but figured you could join us on the TARDIS…” he trailed off at the scowl he was receiving.

“What? So I can be your actual pet? I think not.” The Master sucked in a shuddering breath. “No, I think I’ll take death over that farce of a life.”

A few tears escaped as the Doctor shook his head. “Come on! You can’t give up that easily. There’s so much to see, so much to do.”

The Master rolled his eyes, though he couldn’t tell if it was from annoyance or pain. “Like you’d really let me roam freely. Hell, I’d probably be in a cell when on the TARDIS. You couldn’t risk me mucking about with it.”

Before the Doctor could respond, the Master cringed and doubled slightly in pain, grabbing onto the lapel of his jacket. The Doctor wrapped his arms around the man as he died in his arms, rocking and freely crying.

“Come on! Come on, regenerate! Not like this, you can’t go out like this,” he mumbled into the dying man’s hair.

The Master’s voice came scratchy and barely above a whisper when he spoke again. “They’re all gone, Doctor. What’s the point of living? I couldn’t live freely or even go home to be imprisoned. At least, this way, I’m given some dignity.”

The Doctor choked back a sob. “I’m sorry, my old friend. I’m sorry and I forgive you.”

With one last shudder, the Master slumped against the Doctor, all signs of life gone.


	22. Chapter 22

Rose watched in horror as the Master died in the Doctor’s arms with no sign of regenerating. She couldn’t help the tears that sprang fresh to her eyes as she felt his presence leave her mind. Another of the Doctor’s people gone, once again leaving him alone. Well, alone except for her, it seemed.

Looking away to wipe at her tears, she noticed the medics that had Kari were still standing there, watching the spectacle in the street. Her eyes blazed with anger as she stormed over to them. No one else — especially her friend — was going to die today!

“You! What the hell do you think you’re doing? Get her inside! She has serious injuries that could _kill her_!” Rose bellowed at the workers, who immediately rushed Kari into the hospital. All but one, who Rose caught by the arm. “Go get another gurney and some sheets.”

The worker frowned, scared and confused. “Wha…what for, ma’am?”

“For the dead man in the street, what else? We can’t just leave him there!”

Nodding, the worker turned and ran into the building, afraid to anger the blonde any more.

The emotional roller coaster of the last day or so had reached its pinnacle. She’d experienced fear, anger, sadness, pain, terror, confusion, and probably a whole slew she’d forgotten about. These all culminated now into pure rage. She just couldn’t take it anymore.

Spinning on her heel, she stormed off toward the abandoned buildings. She didn’t want to see or talk to anyone right now. A small part of her felt bad for leaving the Doctor right then, but she wasn’t even sure he was aware of her being anywhere nearby.

Going back to the building they’d just come from, she slammed the door shut and proceeded to yell, scream, and throw things, only slightly mindful of the fact that the littlest thing could very likely bring the building down. She picked up a piece of fallen railing and smashed it into the wall repeatedly until there was a large hole. She tore at the rock, making the hole bigger, though she wasn’t sure why.

Before long, she had worn herself out and all she could do was slide down the wall and bury her head in her hands, sobbing. She was filthy and sore and tired. Her hands were covered in cuts, though she knew those would disappear quickly enough. Occasionally, she’d have a small spike of rage and kick out at or throw a rock. She was poised, rock in hand, ready to throw another at the door when it creaked open. She glared at it.

“Who is it? What do you want?”

Alex’s voice came quiet and reassuring, though shaky. “It’s me, Rose, Alex. Are you okay?”

Rose threw the rock at the wall next to the door as she screamed at him. “Of course I’m not bloody okay!”

“No, no, I suppose not. May I come in?”

The most recent rage spike receding, she deflated slightly. “Yeah, come on in.”

Slowly, Alex peaked around the door before sliding in, the door partially blocked by rock and pieces of railing. He picked his way through it to sit down next to her.

“The Doctor wanted me to look for you to make sure you were alright.”

She wiped violently at the endless stream of tears running down her face. “Well I’m not.”

He shook his head. “I don’t blame you, really. I know I’m not okay.”

Rose laid a shaky, comforting hand on his. “You did what you felt you had to do, Alex.”

“I know, it’s not just that, though. It’s everything.”

She gave a short laugh. “Oh, I understand entirely.” She sighed. “How is he?”

The young man shrugged. “Can’t tell. Seemed to put on a mask as soon as he remembered anyone was around him. The only emotion he showed was the slight panic when he didn’t see you.”

She nodded. “He does that. It’s his way of coping. Bit rubbish if you ask me.”

Alex looked around them and smirked. “And destroying an abandoned building that could fall on you if you sneezed isn’t?”

Rose smiled up at him. “Yeah, not one of my brightest moments, but I couldn’t think of anywhere else to go.”

The young man smiled slightly and sighed. “Rose, I’m not even going to pretend I have any idea what the hell has been going on, especially since it’s clear none of you do, either. But I do want you to know that I am sorry for everything that has happened and hope that Kari will be okay.”

Her eyes turned sad as she looked down. “I’m sorry, too, Alex. No one should have to go through what we do. Hell, _we_ shouldn’t have to go through what we do. As for Kari, I’m sure she’ll pull through.”

Nodding, Alex slowly stood and offered a hand to Rose. She took it reluctantly, not wanting to leave her sanctuary of destruction, but knew she had to eventually. Standing, she brushed herself off, took a deep breath, and walked back out to the real world.

~*~&~*~

The Doctor sat in a chair in the waiting area of the hospital, one leg bouncing impatiently, as he watched the door for Rose. As soon as she walked in, he jumped up and went to her, stopping short when she held up a hand. He frowned at her in confusion.

“Are you okay? When I looked up and you were gone…” his voice trailed off, worry evident.

“No, Doctor, I’m not okay. None of us are. I’m still trying to process _everything_ and just need a bit of space, yeah?” Rose took a deep breath, blowing it out slowly. “How’s Kari?”

He searched her face and eyes, trying to determine if she was mad at or disgusted with him. He wouldn’t blame her if she were. He’d flinched slightly at her emphasis of ‘everything,’ knowing full well what that encompassed. Putting on a mask of no emotion, he gave her a small nod and shoved his hands in his pockets.

“She’ll be okay. She’s still unconscious, but there doesn’t seem to be any permanent brain damage. Granted, I’m not sure how much I can trust their equipment out here. Won’t feel comfortable until I can get her back on the TARDIS.”

Rose nodded. “Where’s the Master?”

His mask slipped slightly at the man’s name. He clenched his fists in his pockets, trying to keep the pain and guilt from rising back up. His voice was slightly strained from restraint. “In the morgue, for now.”

“And how are you?”

A slight smirk quirked at his lips. “You know me, Rose. I’m alright. I’m always alright.”

She rolled her eyes and walked passed him. He knew she didn’t believe him; knew she knew better. But he couldn’t risk allowing himself to let his guard down. There was still too much to deal with before he could take the time to break down. Assuming, of course, he even allowed himself to break down. Turning, he slowly started following Rose down the hall.

“Where is she?” Rose asked over her shoulder.

Carefully taking her arm and surprised she didn’t pull away from him, he guided her down a hall she was about to pass. “Over here.”

They approached the room their friend was in and he opened the door for Rose, letting her go in first. Tears stung the corners of his eyes again as he followed her in and had to take in the damage he’d caused yet another companion. He didn’t understand why they kept traveling with him when nothing but death and destruction followed in his wake. Maybe it was time to take Kari home after this. At least she wouldn’t have to make up too much of a story for her injuries.

Walking passed the bed, leaving Rose to hold vigil, the Doctor went to the window and gazed across the barren landscape. In a day and a half, he’d gained and lost one of his own. He continued to allow a miniscule glimmer of hope to flicker that there just might be more out there. It quickly dimmed when he realized just how disgusted they’d be when they found out he was the one who destroyed Gallifrey. He was destined to be alone, either because he was the last or because his people wouldn’t want to have anything to do with him.

Hearing a groan, he turned to see Kari’s eyes fluttering open. Putting on his most convincing smile — one that came nowhere near reaching his eyes — he walked over to the bed.

“How’re you feeling?”

She narrowed her eyes slightly as she rubbed her forehead. “Like I got the crap beat out of me.” Opening her eyes, she looked down at her left arm and groaned at the sight of the cast. “Seriously? Again? Oh, brilliant! And my left leg.” Taking a deep breath, she cringed in pain and clutched her side.

“And your ribs, though those seem to be on both sides.”

Taking short breaths, she slowly laid back. “Lovely. What else?”

“Just a concussion.” The Doctor took a seat next to the bed and leaned forward on his knees. “He’s dead, Kari.”

She nodded slowly, flinching at the pain it caused. “I gathered. Where is he now?”

“Morgue, tightly secured and guarded just in case he changes his mind on regeneration.”

Rose quirked an eyebrow. “What do you mean, changes his mind? Are you saying you have control over when it happens?”

He shrugged slightly. “A bit, yeah. I regenerated in a morgue, once, few hours after I’d been shot and they tried to operate. Died from a heart attack. Wouldn’t be surprised if he did the same thing.”

Kari chuckled slightly, causing herself to hiss in pain. She looked at Rose and nodded toward the Doctor. “He was rather pretty in that form, too. The one he regenerated into.”

The Doctor cleared his throat and blushed slightly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Right, anyway, we’re still presented with the issue of a lack of a TARDIS.”

Rose looked at him, trying to hide her amusement from his embarrassment. “Is it possible that she’s repaired herself?”

He nodded. “It is possible, yes.” He stood. “In fact, if you two don’t mind, I think I’ll go check.” Receiving nods from the other two, he started leaving the room, stopping at the sound of Kari’s voice.

“Doctor?”

Hand on the handle, he barely looked at her over his shoulder. “Yeah?”

“It’s going to be okay.”

Closing his eyes briefly, he opened the door and walked out, not allowing himself to hope she was right.


	23. Chapter 23

The Doctor trudged across the desert, allowing his mind to wander. He’d managed to avoid any interactions on his walk through the village. There had been plenty of eyes on him displaying everything from wonder to sympathy to disgust, but no one tried to speak to him. He figured it had been the look in his own eyes that had deterred them.

He’d stopped briefly in the morgue before leaving, checking to make sure the Master was still dead. There had been a part of him that had hoped he’d come back, but he’d pushed it down. He ensured that there was no way he could get out of the binds and, even if he could, he was well guarded and couldn’t get loose. Satisfied, he told them he’d be back soon and if they needed anything, Rose was in Kari’s room.

Cresting the hill, coming into view of the TARDIS, the Doctor’s breath hitched slightly. Something seemed…different. Every other time he’d come out here since crashing, he’d been able to sense before he got to her that she wasn’t going to let him in. He’d always tried, but knew it was futile. This time, he seemed to get a sense of welcoming, which caused him to quicken his step.

Reaching the box, he fumbled for his key, hands shaking as he tried it in the lock. He let out a _whoop_ of delight as it clicked and the door opened. Stepping in and closing the door, he stood at the bottom of the ramp for a while, drinking in the sight of his beautiful ship.

Not a single thing had changed; it was if nothing had happened. Running his hand up the railing, he slowly made his way to the console. He gradually started flipping switches, testing things out, ensuring she was, in fact, repaired. The sooner he could verify that, the sooner they could be out of here. He’d had enough of this refugee planet and he imagined Rose and Kari had, too.

He frowned as he read the diagnostic logs. It seemed something had tried to pull the TARDIS out of the Vortex, knocking her considerably off course. Based on the damage done, it had been incredibly primitive technology.

Flipping a few more switches, he put in the coordinates for the hospital. Materializing outside, he took one last look around before stepping out. He was almost knocked over when Rose came running up.

“She works! Oh, thank heaven!” she exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around him before running up to the box, laying a hand on the door. “Hey, old girl! Welcome back. We missed you.”

The Doctor couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his lips, both from the hug from Rose and the sight of her greeting his ship like an old friend.

Rose spoke to him over her shoulder. “What was wrong with her?”

He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Seems someone tried to pull us out of the Vortex.”

Rose’s eyes went wide. “Who?”

He shrugged. “No idea, but whoever it was used very old technology, hence all the damage they caused.”

Nodding, she turned back toward him. “Let’s get Kari and get out of here.”

He smiled sadly down at her. “It’s not that easy, Rose. I still have to deal with the Master’s body and I don’t think Kari’s stable enough to travel yet.”

She looked up at him angrily. “No, of course it’s not easy. It’s never easy.” She pushed past him and stormed back into the hospital.

Running his hands down his face, he turned and followed her. Why couldn’t it ever be easy?

~*~&~*~

It was everything Rose could do to not head back to the abandoned building to continue to try to tear it down from the inside out. She just wanted to leave this horrible place that was so full of death, destruction, and pain. As if on autopilot, she stopped short outside a door that was most definitely not Kari’s room. Looking up, she saw it was the door to the children’s ward.

Yet another batch of tears sprung to her eyes — she was beginning to wonder where they kept coming from — as she thought back to their first couple of days here. How she had delighted in telling edited versions of her travels with the Doctor to the children. If only they knew the other stories, the ones that, no matter how much she changed them, would cause the worst nightmares.

Wiping her face on her sleeve, she put on her best smile and opened the door, the smile turning genuine as she was greeted by the children. They didn’t seem to care that she was filthy and probably stunk. They just wanted to know where she’d been and what new story she had for them.

One of the nurse’s came over and placed a comforting hand on her arm, giving her a sympathetic smile.

“How is your friend doing, Rose? How are you?”

Rose cringed inwardly as her response came automatically. “I’m alright, and Kari will be, too. Thank you.”

A part of her resigned itself to the fact that being ‘alright’ was just how life was when traveling with the Doctor. No matter what kind of inner turmoil you may be facing, you always had to be ‘alright’ on the outside. Couldn’t let the outside world see you weak.

Bending down, she picked up Chrissie, who had been pulling on her torn pant leg since she’d walked in. The little girl frowned as she ran a little finger down one of the many tear tracks in the dirt on Rose’s face.

“What wong, Wose?”

“Nothing, little one, just been a very long day.”

“You tell us stowy?”

Sighing, she took a look around the room before smiling at the child in her arms. “Okay, one more before we leave.”

Settling into the rocking chair, Chrissie on her lap, Rose launched into the story of the day the Professor and Lily met Katie and how Katie saved the world.

~*~&~*~

Kari smiled as the Doctor came back in her room. “We just about ready to go?”

He laughed slightly as he sat down. “Not quite yet. Soon.”

She nodded. “So what was wrong with her?”

“Someone tried to pull us out of the Vortex. No idea who, but I can figure that out later.” His smile faded as he ran his hands down his face, the exhaustion of the last few days showing. “Kari, we need to talk.”

Her smile turned into a concerned frown. “Okay…”

Folding his hands in his lap, he looked down, almost afraid to look at her. His voice was quiet as he spoke. “I think it might be a good idea for me to take you home.”

Kari shrugged slightly. “I kind of figured.”

His eyes snapped up to hers in surprise. “You did?”

“Well, yeah, for a while anyway, while I heal. Probably going to take quite a bit longer this time around; nothing like with the wrist.”

The Doctor closed his eyes and took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. When he opened them again, he was looking at his hands. “I’m sorry…” he trailed off, or if he had said anything else, she couldn’t hear it.

Realization of what he was saying dawned on her. Tears sprung to her eyes as her breath caught, painfully, in her chest. “You mean permanently.”

Not looking up, he nodded in response.

“But…why?”

“Kari, you almost died because of me, because I didn’t listen to you about the Master still being out there. If I had at least humored you, you wouldn’t be in a hospital bed right now.”

Her eyes narrowed on the man. “So, what, you want to get rid of me so you don’t have to be reminded of your stupidity?”

His eyes raised again in surprise. “What? No! That’s not what I meant.”

“May not be what you meant, but it sure as hell sounded like it! Did you not listen to a damn thing I said in the cave?”

He frowned at her, confused.

“This is not your choice, Doctor, it’s mine. _I_ made the choice to travel with you. _I_ made the choice to go to the hospital when I found out about Yana even though I knew I should’ve found you first. _I_ should be the one to decide whether or not I leave for good.”

“But-“

She raised her hand to cut him off. “No buts, Doctor. I’m sorry if you feel responsible for what happened. You shouldn’t, but I can’t control what you decide to beat yourself up over. However, there are only two entities that get to decide when I leave the TARDIS: myself and the Universe, unless I do something truly awful, but I don’t see that happening…” she stopped, realizing she was rambling on like he did when upset. She took a deep, painful breath before continuing, her voice softening.

“This is not your fault, Doctor. You didn’t do this to me and there’s nothing saying that it wouldn’t have still happened if you had gone looking for him. No one is to blame for the condition I’m in but the Time Lord I’m assuming is still in the morgue. Now, if you feel it would be better for me to heal and recover at home for a little while, so be it, just as long as you promise to come back. You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

The Doctor stared at her for a moment, stunned. Finally, he blinked and shook his head, as if trying to bring himself back to the present.

“You’re right. It should be your decision to make. I’m sorry. You are more than welcome to stay, even while you heal. Don’t see a reason for you to not be on the TARDIS, though you’ll be even more bored than you were when you broke your wrist the first time.”

Kari smiled and gave a short laugh. “Yes, well, I’ll find ways to entertain myself.” Shifting slightly, she laid her head back and closed her eyes, a bit exhausted from the exertion of chewing him out, again. “Now, what’re you going to do about the Master?”

She heard him sigh. “Pyre in the desert. There’s plenty of wood out there to burn. Can’t just leave the body.”

Nodding, she turned her head slowly to look at him. “You need to get his ring before you do.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Ring? What ring?”

“The ring with his name on it. In my time, the ring was left behind and it was used to resurrect him. While I don’t see that happening here, I don’t want to take that chance. Do you?”

He shook his head and smiled. “I never would’ve thought of that.”

Kari smirked. “I know. How do you think the ring got left behind in the first place?”

Barking out a genuine laugh, the Doctor stood and placed a hand lightly on her shoulder. “Quite right! I’m going to go make preparations, and then we’ll see about getting you mobile enough to get out of here.”

She smiled and nodded, watching him walk out before allowing her eyes to slide closed.


	24. Epilogue

Rose didn’t know how long she’d been roaming the halls of the TARDIS. No, that wasn’t right. She knew exactly how long: three hours, 42 minutes, and five seconds. Six. Seven. She hadn’t had a destination; just started walking blindly, numbly, occasionally running a hand over the cool walls that now seemed to tingle to her touch.

She didn’t know where the Doctor or Kari had gotten off to after they’d left the refugee planet. None of them had spoken to each other since before the Master’s pyre. What could they say that hadn’t already been said? Rose could think of a few things, like just what the hell had happened to her.

Closing her eyes, she focused on her dual heartbeat, trying to get used to the feeling. Just one of a multitude of new features she’d have to get used to. Taking a deep breath, her head swam from the overwhelming combination of smells that hit her: dirt, sweat, vanilla, cedar, musty books, blooming flowers, and something that smelled like a stable. Did he have a horse in here somewhere? If she ventured a guess, it was probably called Arthur.

Shaking her head — almost as much to clear it as in amusement — she opened her eyes and continued down the hall. She’d passed her room several times, suspecting the TARDIS kept trying to guide her there. She wasn’t interested. While she didn’t know where she was going, she knew it wasn’t there. Not yet. The room represented a very recently closed chapter of her life — her human life — and she wasn’t ready to face it.

Also not for the first time, Rose was brought to the door to the control room. This time she stopped in front of it, pondering what was on the other side. Probably the Doctor. He would have answers. She hoped he had answers, anyway. Inhaling deeply, she blew the breath out slowly as she squared her shoulders and pushed through the door. She stood for a while watching the Doctor, the scene very similar to one from a few days ago, when they fought. When he admitted he loved her. Sort of.

Steeling herself, she walked up the ramp and sat down in the jump seat. It didn’t escape her notice that he was very purposefully not looking at her, instead focusing on the piece of TARDIS in his hands. They’d sat in silence for so long that his voice startled her when he spoke.

“Could you please hand me that blue wire?”

“Um, yeah, sure.” Rose handed him the wire as she slid to sit across from him on the grating. “What’re you working on?”

“Time stabilizer. It was damaged when we were knocked out of the Vortex.”

She smirked, trying to sound lighthearted. “You mean more so than normal?”

He cast a glance at her and gave the hint of a smile. “Just because we don’t always end up where we aim doesn’t mean the time isn’t stable when we get there.”

“Yeah…”

They lapsed back into silence but for the occasional request for a part or tool or to ‘put your finger there for a moment.’ Rose leaned against the cool wall while the Doctor climbed under the console to reinstall the stabilizer, her mind racing with all of the questions she wanted to ask. She took a deep breath.

"Doctor?”

“Yeah?”

“What happened to me?”

The response that came was dead silence; even his body went completely still. She crossed her legs under her and started fidgeting with the hem on her jeans.

“I know you probably don’t know, exactly, what happened, and that’s okay. It’s just… Why now?”

She heard him heave a heavy sigh before he pulled himself out and sat beside her, his long legs stretched out in front of him.

“You’re right, Rose, I don’t know. I have a few theories, but nothing I can verify without running tests or just watching and waiting.”

“Care to share any of those theories?”

He rubbed his hands down his face, smearing it with dirt and grease. “I don’t think I got all of the Time Vortex out of you at Game Station. Or, rather, the Artron energy you absorbed from the TARDIS. Some of it must have been trapped when I locked up the bulk of the memories from that day. It was gradually leaking out, causing little things like quicker healing of minor wounds. Then you got exposed to Huon particles, which seemed to trigger a reaction.” He turned to look at her. “Kari told me about the burns and concussion; about how quickly they healed. Not even I can do that. Not unless I’m in my regenerative cycle, which I think is what you’d started. It was just considerably slower than mine.”

Rose nodded and continued staring at her hands.

“So can I regenerate?”

The Doctor shook his head, his eyes sad. “I don’t know, Rose.”

She gave a short laugh. “Guess there’s only one way to figure that out.”

“Not necessarily. I should be able to test your blood and match it against mine. Should do that, anyway; see how much is Gallifreyan and how much is human.”

“So I’m Gallifreyan? Not Time Lord.”

He shrugged as he looked back toward the console. “Time Lord is a title bestowed upon those that graduated the Academy. I just barely earned it. However, it seems odd saying you’re Gallifreyan when there’s no Gallifrey.”

“Doctor, what… “ She swallowed around her suddenly dry throat and looked up at him, her eyes wet. “What do you think the Master would’ve done to me?”

His hands clenched into fists and anger flashed across his face.

“That doesn’t matter, Rose, he can’t hurt you now.”

“I know. It’s just.. Could he really have restarted your race with just the three of us?”

He nodded. A muscle twitched in his jaw. “Yes.”

She frowned. “How?”

“Rose…”

“Please, Doctor. I mean, I know how babies are made; I’m not stupid. But there were only _three_ of us. That can’t be enough to restart a whole race.”

He closed his eyes and blew out a long breath.

“We had a process on Gallifrey: looming. It was created after we were cursed by the Pythia, preventing natural procreation. It allowed for parents to only get what they wanted. DNA of two Time Lords was put in, manipulated, and a child was ‘grown.’ Incredibly cold and impersonal.

“I imagine the Master would have found a way to build a loom. We both have knowledge in genetic manipulation. It wouldn’t have been that difficult to loom a new race without there being a great deal of inbreeding, as it were.”

Rose nodded again, her fingers making quick work at fraying her jeans even more. The Doctor sighed again, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her to him.

“It’s going to be okay, Rose, I promise. I’ll figure out what all’s changed and whether or not you can regenerate. I’ll help you adjust to everything that’s new. You’re not alone.”

“Neither are you.”

She sniffed and wiped silent tears away, smiling to herself as he kissed her on the head.

“Doctor?”

“Yes, Rose?”

“I want to go home.”


End file.
